


- Tightly Laced -

by Madeleine_BumbleBee_xoxo



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Art, Childhood Friends, Complete, Corsetry, Eventual Smut, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, Intercrural Sex, Love Confessions, M/M, Paris (City), Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:27:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 24,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25067647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madeleine_BumbleBee_xoxo/pseuds/Madeleine_BumbleBee_xoxo
Summary: Paris in Summer: two people meet again after 4 long years.Hoseok, the perfumer with an art-block,and Changkyun, who's in love with fashion, in love with Paris,and in love with....Complete! 🎶
Relationships: Im Changkyun | I.M/Lee Hoseok | Wonho
Comments: 94
Kudos: 67





	1. 1 very fortunate meeting

“Excusez-moi.”

“Sorry, can you move aside?”

“Déplace-toi, imbécile!”

“Entschuldigung.”

As complaints were hissed at him -some less polite than others- Hoseok reminded himself of why he had decided to visit the Louvre. During the busy hours. He had already bumped into lots of people, photobombed at least 50+ tourists and to top it all off: he’d spilled his iced coffee all over his shirt. It was a black one, thus the stain wasn’t that visible, but still. 

“Why am I here again?”, he mumbled as he was shoved aside by some guy eagerly taking pictures of a Géricault.

Inspiration. He was here for inspiration. The themes and colours of the Louvre’s variety of art usually provided him with new ideas. At least, when he could focus on that art. He gave up on the Géricault and moved away from the crowd. After turning a few corners, marble stairs led him to a secluded area, full of still-lifes. A relieved sigh flew through the cold room when he realised that he was alone, at last. The Louvre was amazing, but everyone wanted to see the same old things, resulting in traffic jam-like obstructions at every famous art piece. Hoseok loved the sound of only his footsteps on the marble, his slow paced-thuds echoing back and forth. The chill coming from the walls was easily forgotten when he cast his eyes onto the paintings. 

Grapes, feathers, jewelry, instruments,... the occasional skull. Still-lifes were underrated, Hoseok was glad that he was here alone, but also a bit sad. Few people visited the still-lifes he admired so much. He stood still in front of ‘Still-life with Grapes and Grenade’ (simple title, as much of them have). This had been the inspiration for his last creation. The dark purple of the grapes, the vibrant, imperial red and the pale green. Those colours, those brushstrokes had granted him a vision of what his new composition would smell like: the purple would translate into deep notes of labdanum and would be combined with a sensual touch of thyme. At the last minute, he’d added tangerine, and it had proved to be a success. The perfume he'd created had sold out in a few weeks. But after ‘Malin’, Hoseok’s mind has gotten stuck. Thus he’d taken the metro this morning to visit the Louvre. To try and come up with a new fragrance with the help of one of ‘Still-life with Grapes and Grenade’s neighbours. 

As his eyes followed the delicate curves of some oranges, his mind could only come up with ‘coffee’. No surprise, as his shirt was still drenched in that substance. He lifted his hand to scratch underneath the strap of his black tote-bag. It held his camera and a note-book, both to collect inspiration. Usually his hands itched to jot things down and take pictures of details, but right now they hung limply at his sides. He was just too tired to make his mind work. The emptiness in his mind was interrupted by a hand appearing in front of him. A hand holding a handkerchief. 

“You’re dripping coffee onto the marble.” 

The way this person pronounced ‘marble’ made a shiver as cold as the stone itself travel through Hoseok’s body. It was a deep rumble, with a hint of a Boston accent. He took hold of the handkerchief with a smile and looked at the person who was holding it. He knew who this was. The guy he had encountered before at the greek marble statues. The familiarity he felt when he saw this person in Paris had struck him. He’d heard him speaking with someone over the phone once, and had longed to hear his voice again since then. It was rich, full and enchanting. 

“Thank you”, he said, taking the soft white piece of fabric.

A small smile graced the lips of the guy standing next to Hoseok. His now empty hand flew to his hair, threading his fingers through it. The warmth of a late summer had helped Wonho decide what to wear this morning: a short-sleeved black tee. That same warmth had been a determining factor for handkerchief-guy’s fashion: a very loose white shirt. Its puffy long sleeves held a Shakespearean charm. Hoseok’s hand started itching. The camera in his tote-bag suddenly felt a little heavier. 

The stranger turned towards a painting.

“I love these.”

Hoseok hummed and softly pushed the handkerchief against his soaking shirt, watching the coffee bleed into the fabric. “I do too.”

“Wanna know something fun?”, the deep voice continued.

Leaving the spot on his shirt, Hoseok’s orbs wandered towards the surprisingly familiar stranger’s ones. He smiled as their eyes met and neither of them averted their gaze. What a curious person.

“Sure, tell me.”

Shakespeare Shirt turned towards the painting again, showing off a strong profile; a straight, graceful nose and a jaw you could easily cut your finger on. “Well,...” He lifted a nimble finger to point at one of the elements created by the thick oil paint.

“A skull in a still-life is symbolic. The painter is trying to warn you that life is short. When there’s instruments next to it,” his finger wandered from the pale skull to a violin, “It means that humans and their life are easily forgotten after death, but art, like music, always lives on.”

“Oh. I didn’t know that.”

A smile was thrown at Hoseok. “Well, it’s very rare for an artist to create something without meaning. So even these still-lifes have something to convey.” 

“That’s… so beautiful.” He couldn’t say anything else, he was that baffled. It was as if the stranger knew about his art-block, about his struggle to find inspiration and meaning for his new fragrances. And at the same time, the feeling crept up to him that he knew who this was, that this person shouldn’t be a stranger for him. The fact that he felt so close to this person but couldn’t remember who they were made guilt rush through his veins.

A silence descended upon the two men. It was interrupted by another drop of coffee falling onto the floor with a loud thud.

“Dear god, how much coffee did you spill onto yourself?”

“The whole cup. I hadn’t even taken a sip of it yet”, Hoseok pouted cutely, which caused the other guy to smile.

“Luckily it was iced coffee…”, the perfumer sighed.

While dabbing at the liquid again, he cleared his throat in preparation for asking the stranger a question that had been burning on his tongue ever since the first time he’d cast eyes upon him. Since the first time he saw that sharp jawline tilted towards delicate marble carvings, in awe. 

“Would you mind if I take a picture of you?”

…

After a few seconds of awkward silence, the familiar stranger cocked his eyebrow at Hoseok. The small smile had not disappeared from his lips.  
  


“Sure. But why?”

Already grabbing his camera, Hoseok answered: “I’m searching for inspiration for my new creation. And you’re bestowing a lot upon me right now.” A grin had erupted onto the perfumer’s face, seemingly stunning the guy. 

“I-Um. Thank you?”

“No, _I_ need to thank _you_! Thanks for letting me take this picture!”

He screwed the lid off the lens and took a step back, already getting a feeling that this picture was going to become the best piece of art in this room. 

“Do you want me to do anything?”

“Can you turn to the side a little bit? And maybe-”, the face that was hiding behind the camera reddened a bit, “Maybe run your fingers through your hair again?”

The request didn’t seem to upset the stranger, as he turned his head at an angle and lifted his hand again, weaving his long fingers through soft-looking auburn strands. At this angle, Hoseok noticed that the Shakespearean white shirt was unbuttoned down to where the guy’s belly-button would be, but instead he noticed a-

“Are you wearing a corset?” Hoseok lowered the camera. His mind was racing too quickly to realise that the question might have been an invading one.

“Yes.”

He literally felt illumination coursing through his veins as the stranger sassily opened his shirt a little more, probably in defiance to the question. Black satin wrapped around a lithe waist, ending with a tiny lace edge right underneath his ribcage. This guy’s fashion was the best Hoseok had seen in ages.

  
  
“You’re bloody ethereal.”

Hoseok was not someone who swore often, and he almost clasped a hand in front of his mouth as he realised what he’d just exclaimed. The stranger stood there, stupefied. The Louvre’s wide windows let golden sunlight drip into the room. Onto the ethereal being’s skin, seeping through the white shirt, onto the shiny black satin. As quick as that light, Hoseok took a picture. And another one. He was angry at his camera for not being able to capture the gold as his eyes could. He smiled at the stranger, receiving a shy one in return.

“Nobody’s called me ethereal before.”  
  
  


  
For the nth time, Hoseok grinned. 

“But then again, nobody’s asked to take my picture before either.”  
  


“That’s odd. You’re picture-perfect.”  
  


The golden guy puffed up his cheeks and rolled his eyes at Hoseok.   
  


“I’m sorry, I feel like I know you so well… But I can’t remember your name?”, the perfumer asked.

  
  
  
“You can get it in return for a coffee. And try not to spill it this time.”

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this first chapter :)  
> kudos and comments are greatly appreciated, the latter will always get a response ♡
> 
> thanks @bluemoonrabbit for working out this AU with me a while ago and encouraging me to write it!  
> also thanks @wallflower for always being such a supportive bean! ・//ε//・
> 
> big hugs, take care ❤


	2. 2 friends reunited

After paying too much for iced coffee in one of the Louvre’s shops, they slowly walked outside, talking about light subjects. Hoseok’s eyes flashed over the other guy’s features every so often, trying to remember where he’d encountered this person before. The stranger felt out of place in ‘his’ Paris, as if someone had cut this person out of his past and had pinned the cut-out onto his present. Shakespeare Shirt felt like an anachronism. 

“Changkyun”, the anachronism answered when Hoseok had asked for his name. The combination of letters made sense in a lot of ways, but not in others. The Perfumer was still trying to remember where Changkyun had a little place in his past but was too embarrassed to ask him about it. “I feel like I’ve met you before” sounded so stupid in his mind. He frowned.

“You’re probably wondering where we’ve met before?”

Busted, Hoseok couldn’t help but laugh and nod bashfully. 

“We went to middle and high school together.” 

Changkyun laughed at how fast Hoseok’s head turned at him. “Surprised? Don’t you remember the lonely emo kid sitting in the corner of the classroom? Or how you had to share your spot on the roof with that same stubborn kid? My name was different then. I made people call me ‘I.M.’, quirky old me.”

Humming, memories finally returned to his mind. The kid with bangs covering half of his face. The kid reading on the roof unbotheredly while he himself had snuck up there for a cigarette. The kid not saying anything to him in return to his rambling, keeping his eyes trained on whatever book he was reading. Not that his silence had bothered Hoseok, he remembered liking the change; his friends were loud and always butted in. For a few years that had been their ritual, him smoking a cigarette and venting about his problems, I.M. reading and ignoring him. Until suddenly, I.M. was gone. No prior notice, no one in class that knew about it. He’d disappeared in the middle of senior year and Hoseok had spent the rest of his lunchtimes alone, on the rooftop, thinking about the mysterious kid.

“You’ve changed a lot”, was the first thing that left Hoseok’s lips after that huge revelation.

“I hope you mean in a good way?”, Changkyun smiled at his conversation partner, revealing pretty teeth and the tip of his tongue trapped between them. 

“Yes, in a good way..”, the answer was accompanied by blushing cheeks. It seemed to satisfy Changkyun. 

Hoseok also discovered that Changkyun was visiting Paris for a few weeks. He loved traveling, fashion and art which all made him book this trip to Paris. 

They strolled through the park right next to the Louvre, taking small sips of their drinks to make them last. Les Jardins Des Tuileries are a typical example of a Parisian park: wide passages with gravel, lined symmetrically with meticulously cut bushes and trees. Lots of fountains, lots of pigeons, lots of tourists. But still, the park was so big that they could easily find a calm spot underneath a tree to sit, not being interrupted by others. Hoseok settled down onto the cold bench, Changkyun followed his example. 

“For how long are you in Paris?”, Changkyun asked. His eyes were following a pigeon which curiously stared at the two of them.

“I’ve been living here for 4 years.”

“Oh wow. It must be nice living in such a city. Open minded and an art gallery around every corner.”

“If you forget about the pollution and the poverty, Paris is a nice city, yeah.”

Another small smile graced Changkyun’s lips. He suddenly noticed that he’d been smiling a lot today. 

“What kind of artist are you?”

“I develop perfumes.”

His interest was piqued, and Changkyun turned towards Hoseok with genuine wonder painted onto his pretty face. “Tell me more?”

The perfumer couldn’t help but smile at his conversation partner’s enthusiasm. It made him look so much younger. But also so much different than Changkyun’s younger self.

“Well… I try out different base scents, different combinations, different percentages of dilutions,... I try to make some scents myself too, but that takes a lot of time. Whenever I get inspired by something, I can compose a recipe for a perfume in my mind. It doesn’t always turn out good, it’s a trial-and-error process. But at the end of all that, I usually end up with a new fragrance.”

“So you usually make a perfume after receiving inspiration?”

“Yeah, that's right!"

“Soooo… Will you be making one based on the picture you took of me?” Changkyun looked so relaxed, sitting sidewards onto the bench they shared, leaning his head onto the backrest. 

Sitting together like this made the feeling of déjà-vu wash over them, only the smell of cigarettes and teenage sweat was needed to take them back to their roof days. A warm summer breeze made the leaves above them rustle, and made Changkyun’s shirt dance. 

“Maybe I will”, Hoseok finally answered.

Suddenly, Changkyun squinted his eyes at Hoseok, and it was not because of the bright summer sun. “Did you take a picture of me because of the corset?”

“What? No. I didn’t even notice it in the beginning.”

“Do you think it’s weird?”

Hoseok mimiqued Changkyun by also turning his body towards his convo partner. He wanted to make sure his words reached the guy. “Not at all. It’s really pretty and so original. It fits you well.”

Changkyun had to hide his face behind his iced coffee, taking a few sips of the cold liquid to calm himself down. A compliment held such power. He found receiving a genuine one so wonderful. “I also really like your fashion.”, he said in return, flirtatiously putting his hand onto Hoseok’s t-shirt clad bicep, patting it a few times. Changkyun cringed at himself, since when was his flirting game so bad?

Hoseok didn’t seem to mind, on the contrary. He smiled a wide smile with pearls of teeth while pearls of laughter rolled from his lips.

“You’re sweet.”

As tourists strolled past the chatting men, and their iced coffees slowly disappeared, the evening fell over Les Jardins des Tuileries. Hoseok felt like his mind was lighter than this morning, aired out by fresh air and an equally refreshing chat. He felt somewhat more confident to go home and back to his drafting table. Changkyun was so nice to talk to. The guy was often silent, but his eyes always showed what he was thinking, that he was listening. A good chat with someone was underappreciated, Hoseok realised. 

Thus, lots of light banter later, it was sadly time to go home. Hoseok had to cook and desperately wanted to take a look at the pictures he took. Changkyun had to reserve last-minute tickets for a show. 

“What show?”

“Ballet. Raymonda.”

“At the opéra de Paris?”

“Yeah,” Changkyun chuckled at himself, “It’s going to cost me a fortune but it’s on my bucket list.”

“I’ve been living here for years and I haven’t even managed to get tickets”, Hoseok answered as he got up. He winced at his limbs waking up after sitting for so long.

Changkyun followed his example and sat up, stretching his arms. His broad shoulders stretched the fabric of his shirt. “I think it’s worth the hundreds of euros.”

“So passionate about ballet?”

They started walking towards the exit of the park, the gravel crunching underneath their shoes. 

“Honestly, yes. I love it.”

He opened the little park gate and let Hoseok pass first, both of them chuckling at that bit of old-fashioned chivalry. They exchanged phone numbers, Hoseok insisted that they’d catch up. “It’s not every day that you meet a part of your childhood!” After saying their goodbyes, Changkyun dove into a metro station and Hoseok put on his headphones, ready for the stroll home. They both felt lighter, felt content. Content at meeting an old friend in Paris. 

A struggle at the ticket machine and one sticky metro ride later, Changkyun arrived at his little rented apartment. Because of the longevity of his stay, he'd decided to limit his expenses regarding the place he'd stay at: a small, two room apartment, or rather studio, above a club. The bathtub was an antique gone wrong and the fridge was too small to store anything but drinks and two tupperware containers, but he still loved the little room. It held the ‘Paris Magic’ he'd been longing for ever since he booked this trip. The big amount of coffee in his stomach made him decide to take a shower first, then start dinner. He opened a window in the bathroom to not get suffocated by steam like the last time and was greeted by the smell of car exhaust and warm asphalt. 

He already longed to go back to Les Jardins to enjoy some fresh air, and Hoseok’s company. What are the odds, finding someone from so far into the dusty shelves of his childhood, in Paris? Hoseok was still the cool, sweet guy he’d known in school. Just not surrounded by the wrong people this time. After turning on the shower, he let his clothes fall onto the floor. One by one, he popped open the buttons of his corset. He peeled the heavy black fabric off and got reminded of a snake shedding its skin. The black embroidered flowers showed off their detail as they shimmered in the little bit of light the bathroom window offered. 

Crush’s ‘Bittersweet’ flowed through the bathroom and bounced off the tiles. "Thank god for water-resistant bluetooth speakers", Kyun thought. He had made the right decision when he brought his speakers from home: taking a shower without music made him feel ever so lonely. A refreshing shower and a generous slice of quiche later, he nestled himself into bed and quickly drifted off to sleep. Wonderful dreams were awaiting him. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> I really appreciate it ❤
> 
> ps: a scene from Raymonda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8aPJdrl6q8 
> 
> :)


	3. 3 pm a text message was sent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> um today we're talking about the photo development kind of darkroom ok, not the OtHer KinD :)))

The ceiling had two cracks in it, and one hole. The latter was possibly a trace left from a chandelier. Chankyun’s rented apartment was part of an old french mansion, thus the possible crystal hanging from the ceiling. But now it was a hole. He’d discovered this upon staring at the ceiling for about two minutes to try and get rid of his disappointment. Right after waking up he’d turned off his phone’s airplane mode and had longingly gazed at all of the notifications rolling in. A few messages from Jooheon about his cats, some from his mom telling him she wanted a special kind of souvenir. Email notifications and some twitter ones. But no message from Hoseok. He’d dropped his phone next to him on the little bed and had started staring at the white plastered ceiling. Of course there weren’t any messages. Why would Hoseok text first? Why would he text at all? Angry at his disappointment, Changkyun got up and decided to do some chores. Washing the dishes and collecting his dirty socks would hopefully take his mind off of that pretty smile he'd encountered in the Louvre. 

  
  


When Hoseok had felt the first rays of sunlight on his face, he'd rushed to get out of bed and out of his apartment: to visit Kihyun, more specifically: his darkroom. Yesterday's picture had been waiting a whole night to be developed, and now he would finally be able to see how it had turned out. Developing a picture was like unwrapping a present for Hoseok. Because of that excitement, he almost sprinted to the metro station, a youthful glee visible on his face.

  
~

The familiar acrid smell of photo development liquid permeated his nose when he entered the darkroom. Tubs full of differently coloured liquids, though you couldn’t distinguish those colours thanks to the red lights, were placed in neat rows on the table. He ducked to get underneath the washing line with drying pictures and placed his camera on the table after taking the film roll out. He pulled on some gloves, letting them snap against his wrists. 

“Everything okay in there?”, Kihyun called out.

“Yeah, thanks!”

With the greatest care, Hoseok began to bathe the pictures, dipping each one of them briefly into the liquids just as if dipping an apple into caramel to make a pomme d’amour. With each bath, the picture became a little clearer. A street scene was first, very similar to the ones Kihyun had made and were drying above him. Then a picture of some swans on the Seine, the plastic bags and bottles surrounding them making the scene sad rather than enchanting. Hoseok remembered that he didn’t take any pictures of the Louvre’s collection that day, so next up should be… Indeed, slowly Changkyun’s silhouette began to appear. Hoseok marvelled at the sharp lines of his ¾ profile and at the soft edges of the shirt surrounding him like a cloud surrounds the sun: never fully able to dull the rays of light. 

Oh, how beautiful this man was. How much he’d like to look at him for a long while, closely, to distinguish and discover all of the secrets he held. Did he have any freckles or moles? Did his eyelashes cast shadows on top of those high cheekbones when he looked downwards? Did he have any acne scars? What did he look like with those soft strands of hair completely pushed back? 

Hoseok itched to take the picture outside and look at it in the daylight, to see if he’d been able to catch the sunlight rolling in thick dollops over Changkyun’s skin. But he couldn’t. The picture needed time to develop, in the dark. Sighing, he hung it on the washing line with a wooden clothespin, next to one of Kihyun’s park scenes. Hanging above the sour baths had made his eyes sting a bit already. 

Wondering how Ki could spend a whole afternoon cooped up in there, he exited the darkroom carefully and was greeted by the scent of freshly brewed coffee. Following that trail, he ended up at Kihyun’s coffee table, where the cup was waiting for him. His photographer friend was already seated, macchiato in hand.

“You’ve got that happy gleam in your eyes.”, he said as Hoseok settled down into the velours of the couch. “That sparkle you get when you’ve discovered something new and exciting.” Kihyun’s teeth peeked out from underneath his lips as he continued, huffing a small laugh into his macchiato foam: “Like that time you discovered that new ramyun place and wanted to try it out.” 

With his neatly styled hair, turquoise macchiato cup and dashing smile, Kihyun looked ever so stylish, even though he was clad in loungewear. This image felt like it could belong in a home magazine. “Well?”, he insisted.

Hoseok took a sip from his coffee, burned his tongue a little bit, and gathered his thoughts. 

“Well, I have found something, no, _someone_ interesting.”

He pushed some of his black curls straying from their path back. Feeling his hair slide through his fingers, he was reminded of Changkyun doing the same thing, looking like a dream. 

“God, I’m already speaking of him as if I’m in love.”

Kihyun hummed to show his interest.

“I met him at the Louvre, he’s actually someone from Korea.”

“A childhood sweetheart?”

“No, we were complete opposites.”

“Opposites attract, you know.”

“Kihyun, I just met him again.”

“You’ve always lacked romance in your life.”

“And how’s the romance in yours?”, Hoseok countered.

Silence descended upon the two men. Kihyun’s eyes skittishly looked at the pictures behind Hoseok. Pictures of a smiling, gentle man amidst friends. A picture of that same man showing off some swimming medals. Kihyun had hung just as much pictures of Hoseok, his mom and his brother around those of Hyunwoo, to not make it seem suspicious. Because of the silence, Hoseok already felt a little guilty at what he’d said and apologised.

“I’m sorry Ki, I shouldn’t have brought him up…”

Humming, Kihyun wanted to take another sip, only to discover his cup was empty.

“It’s not your fault. It’s that dense idiot’s fault for not realising my feelings. And it’s my own fault for not voicing those feelings.”

“You’d think the non-verbal cues would’ve been enough…”, Hoseok pondered as he was reminded of the hundreds of pictures Ki would take of Hyunwoo. Swimming, eating, laughing,...

“Well, apparently they weren’t enough.”

“How’s he doing in Australia?”  
  
  


“He loves the weather, the pools are big and clean. And he says he misses me.”

Kihyun hid his satisfaction at that last bit by rolling his eyes. A smile graced his lips. 

“Wait!”, he suddenly said. “How did we end up talking about my unrequited love instead of you finding a new bae?”

Hoseok would’ve choked on his coffee if he’d still be drinking it. “Bae?? We’ve barely met? I mean, it's been 4 years since we were friends.”

“But it’s a special kind of love, an abrupt one. It’s more like you finding...finding your muse!”

“What do you mean ‘muse’? Don’t be ridiculous…”

“Hoseok, you literally stormed inside this morning after I sent you the ‘ok’ for coming over. You practically shoved me aside to run to my darkroom.”

“I’m sorry?”

“No, it was funny. I’m just glad you got some of your energy back. Wanna celebrate with some pasta at Via Emilia tonight?”

Hoseok happily agreed. “Just thinking about their parmesan ravioli makes me drool.”

  
~

When Kyun's phone buzzed he expected it was Jooheon continuing their conversation about Finding Nemo but he nearly choked on his raspberry tartelette when he noticed it wasn’t that. They had been talking for a while, Jooheon in his office in Seoul and Changkyun in a little sweets shop in Paris. But the message wasn’t from Jooheon debating whether or not a fish could actually be fluent in whale. It was Hoseok. Quickly, he swallowed his bite and wiped his fingers on his pants. Couldn’t be bothered with the custard staining the fabric now, if only that damn fingerprint recognition would work… Finally, he’d unlocked the phone.

**Hoseok 15.13**

hey, it’s me :)  
how are you?  
are you busy?  
the pictures are done developing.  
I really want you to see them :D  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> And thanks for all the sweet comments I've already received,  
> they really help my writing along :3  
> I really appreciate it ❤
> 
> Wanna be friends? You can find me @MaddieBumbleBee on the blue bird app xoxo


	4. 4 seconds until a reply

**Hoseok 15.13**

the pictures are done developing. 

I really want you to see them :D

  
  


**Changkyun 15.14**

Hey, im doing fne

*fine

You want to meet up rn? 

  
  


**Hoseok 15.17**

Yeah! For dinner? You can't? Sorry if I've interrupted anything :(

  
  


**Changkyun 15.17**

Nono

Its just ive got an evening activity planned

Ballet, remember? 

  
  


**Hoseok 15.20**

Ohh, Raymonda!! 

  
  


**Changkyun 15.21**

Yeah so I can't come today :(

  
  


**Hoseok 15.21**

Maybe tomorrow? 

I make a mean kimchi stew 

  
  


**Changkyun 15.21**

Ohhh yass i was craving some korean food

Wait youre asking me to come over? 

  
  


**Hoseok 15.27**

Yes :D

You don't have to, like I get that you have lots of activities planned while you're here 

But those pictures are really amazing 

And I wanna catch up :) 

  
  


**Changkyun 16.15**

Oops sorry didn't get a notification 

Sure! I'd love to come over 

Free food yay

Hoseok rolled over onto his stomach. He was texting and lounging on his bed, fresh out of the shower and feeling drowsy because of the hot water. Suddenly, he noticed that he had a huge grin on his lips. He’d remembered how fun it was to talk to Changkyun, it had been the reason for his many trips to the roof in high school. Kyun was the perfect conversation partner, good at listening as well as great at throwing funny remarks into the convo. 

Hoseok didn’t know whether Changkyun knew how much of a great support he’d been throughout high school. Just ranting about his life and his problems had helped Hoseok through those difficult, hormone-spiked years. He made a mental note to tell Changkyun about it, and thank him properly. The guy deserved a medal for listening to every complaint and every detailed report of a fight. Even though his eyes were always hidden by his black bangs, teenage Changkyun had owned a comforting aura. And the way he looked while munching on a piece of sweet bread… Hoseok huffed a laugh and rolled over again, now resting his back onto the bed.. He hoped he wouldn’t drop his phone onto his face like he did yesterday.

**Changkyun 16.15**

Oops sorry didn't get a notification 

Sure! I'd love to come over 

Free food yay

**Hoseok 16.18**

Hahahaha

I remember you giving me puppy eyes when I brought   
my lunch up to the roof in high school 

**Changkyun 16.20**

God i was such an embarrassment 

Im sorry i dunno how much food i stole from you those days 

but im shre it was a lot

*sure

**Hoseok 16.22**

It was cute :) 

And it was in return for you listening to my rants

**Changkyun 16.27**

Ah yes 

The complaints about the friends

**Hoseok 16.30**

You remember that? 

I always thought you weren't really listening 

Too focused on the yakisoba bread

**Changkyun 16.34**

Of course i listened

I remember you throwing shade at 

that one dude with the undercut and the earring 

**Hoseok 16.36**

Lol i know who you're talking about but I can't remember his name

**Changkyun 16.36**

Lmao he was one of your best friends

**Hoseok 16.37**

Don't shame me xd

**Changkyun 16.40**

Im glad you at least remembered me after staring at me for a while 

**Hoseok 16.46**

Hahahaha

Sorry

youre nice to stare at

**Changkyun 16.46**

:0

**Hoseok 16.46**

Sorry that was a bad attempt at a compliment 

**Changkyun 16.47**

Ahahah

Thanks :) 

**Hoseok 16.50**

So, tomorrow at 5?

**Changkyun 16.56**

Sure

Text me the address? 

**Hoseok 17.00**

Will do

I'm so glad we can catch up 

Undercut earring dude wasn't a good friend

but you were :) 

**Changkyun 17.07**

Thx :) 

You were too, feeding my skinny emo ass throughout high school 

**Hoseok 17.10**

:D! 

I'll leave you to your evening with raymonda xd

See you tomorrow! 

**Changkyun 17.12**

See you 🖤

Oops

Uh the heart was on accident

I always send them to my friend and my mom

Changkyun wanted to scream but he refrained from doing so, keeping the sound trapped in the back of his throat. During his texting with Hoseok, he’d gone home and he was now preparing a light dinner. But he’d almost dropped his phone into the avocado-tuna salad when he’d noticed the heart he’d accidentally sent to Hoseok. Now, what to do? He really felt like a teenager again while he anxiously turned off his phone and turned it on again, repeating that several times before pocketing the device. 

Just ignore it. It’s not a big deal. He repeated this a few times and turned on the small television to distract himself with french teleshopping. Would some lemon juice be good drizzled over the salad? He hummed and finished preparing his meal with just that plus some roasted pine nuts. 

The sofa creaked dangerously when he let himself fall into it. Taking big bites of his salad and concentrating on an instant abs belt commercial, he managed to distract himself from the slip-up his thumb had made. It wasn’t until later that evening, while he was straightening his silk shirt and combing his hair back to get ready for the ballet that he felt his phone buzz. And he smiled at the screen when he opened the message app. 

**Hoseok 18.30**

Ahahahah I don't mind

❤️❤️❤️ !! 

  
  


It was such a Hoseok-type answer. Kyun really felt like a teenager again, blushing over text messages. Holding a little text bubble filled with a few words or a few emoticons so dearly,… How nostalgic. The sweet memories he had with Hoseok had all come floating back to the surface when they’d began talking again at the Louvre, and now he realised this text message was just one of the few new, fresh memories he’d made with his childhood friend. The prospect of making even more new memories with Hoseok was something he was genuinely looking forward to. 

He truly felt like he’d been teleported back to his high school years with Hoseok. Chatting on the roof, with the out-of-his-league guy he’d possibly had a huge crush on. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAA sorry for the tardy chapter!!!  
> Thank you so much for reading! ❤
> 
> Wanna be friends? You can find me @MaddieBumbleBee on the blue bird app xoxo


	5. 5 floors up to a magical lair

“Why am I feeling more excited for this than for Raymonda…”

  
Changkyun sighed and looked at the door he was standing in front of. It was one of those typical Parisian entrances to an apartment complex: high and ancient, the old wood scratched on several places and with a heavy copper handle hanging in the middle of it. He was fidgeting with the ribbon on the box he held in his hands. A white box, with a sticker on top of the ribbon to keep it in place, saying: ‘Café et Gourmandises - La Petite Tortue’. Was it weird to bring cake to the guy that had invited you to look at the pictures he’d made from you? Changkyun decided that everything in that sentence was weird. But the small cakes were so cute! He’d bought them at the café he’d been sitting in yesterday. They had the cutest little tarts and eclairs, decorated with edible flowers and homemade fruit jelly. And of course, it was expected of the guest to bring something to their host for the evening. A bottle of wine, some flowers, or in Changkyun’s case: dessert. 

Deciding that he’d already dwindled enough, he pressed the little bell next to ‘nr.7 - Lee Hoseok’. He didn’t have to wait long and almost dropped the precious cakes when Hoseok’s voice chirped a happy ‘hello!’ through the intercom. 

“Hi, Hoseok, it’s me”, he rolled his eyes at his own words. _“It’s me?” Seriously?”_

“Hi! It’s the fifth floor, you just gotta turn a few corners and… Wait, I’ll come get you.”

“Oh, that’s okay, don’t-”

“Kyun, you’ll just get lost.” 

Changkyun heard the little chuckle in Hoseok’s words and tried his best not to ‘AAA’ at the nickname. He whispered ‘ok’ and the intercom made a beep sound, the sign of Hoseok hanging up. He had time to fix his Balmain t-shirt and make sure his white velvet choker was still sitting snugly on his neck before Hoseok opened the door for him. They smiled at each other.

“You’re here.”

“I am.”

With a drop of awkwardness, Changkyun stuck out the box. Suddenly, the big red ribbon tied around it seemed comical, and over the top. 

“I-uh. I brought dessert?”

Hoseok’s eyes widened, a grin appeared onto his face. “Wonderful!”

Relief flooded Changkyun’s veins. He felt the stress roll off his shoulders like waves rolling off a shingle beach. How did Hoseok always manage to calm him down so easily? He was so comfortable to be around. The smiling host let him in, holding the door for him. While Changkyun passed the guy’s chest, which he suddenly noticed was surprisingly broad, he caught onto the scent of tangerines and something spicy.

“You smell good.”

Hoseok’s airy chuckle flew through the cold corridor they were passing. “Thanks! It’s my latest scent, it feels kinda weird to wear it myself.”

_“Oh my god he’s a perfumer and you said he smelled good. Duh.”,_ Kyun realised while he took the first few steps onto the marble staircase leading up. As per usual, an elevator was absent in the old building. “I really like the scent…”, he finally answered. “If you feel weird wearing your own scents, why do you do it?”

“I wanted to show off to you.”

Hoseok turned around on the stairs while climbing them, he was so used to this climb that he could’ve done it blindfolded. “Is that weird?”

“No, it isn’t.” Kyun showed off his dimpled smile to make sure Hoseok knew he was being genuine. “It’s cute.”

Promptly, Hoseok turned back around and started climbing the stairs quicker, coughing his embarrassment away. “Thanks.”

They passed four floors, each featuring one or two apartments. Hoseok pointed out where the crazy cockatoo lady lived on the second floor, and the sweet neighbour that baked a lot of cookies on floor three. “Her cinnamon almond cookies are to die for.”

At the end of the last staircase, Hoseok opened a door that lead to yet another staircase, this time a wooden one. “My place is actually the attic…” The stairs were too small for their feet and creakier than any horror movie’s door. The people walking here along the years had left their literal footprints; the wooden stairs dipped in the places that were walked on the most. At the last part, they had to bend over as to not bump their heads against the low ceiling. 

“I feel like I’m entering a magic lair.” 

“What a charming way to describe my old smelly staircase.”

The last door was opened, the ceiling was quite high now so they both straightened up. Changkyun was welcomed into the attic Hoseok had made his home in. He marvelled at its beauty: the slanted ceiling, the wooden beams on which Hoseok had put several little succulents in neat rows… Soft, earthy tones were the theme for the furniture. They’d arrived in the cosy living room which featured a long sofa and a mismatched chaise longue, the floor was covered in rugs. 

“It’s to mute the creaky noises of the old floorboards. And it’s soft to walk on”, Hoseok pointed out. 

The small windows looked out over the roofs of Paris, chimneys with the occasional bird nest on them were speckled along the horizon. “It’s wonderful”, Chankyun’s elated face spoke volumes. 

“Really? You’re so nice.”

Changkyun laughed. “That’s not usually something people say to me.”

“Huh, why not? You’re super sweet.”

“I don’t know.”, Changkyun stroked the faux sheepskin fur that was draped over one of the sofas. “They usually say I’m a bit distant, maybe even cold.”

“How weird, that’s not how I remember you from high school. I mean, in class, yeah. But on the roof, you were such a warm person. You still are.”

Changkyun listened in silence, to his childhood crush praising him. A bittersweet feeling of nostalgia enveloped him. He was already getting used to the smile that was on his face while listening to Hoseok.

“Please, sit down”, the host gestured to the sofa.

It was soft and bouncy, and it smelled of thyme, for some reason. When Changkyun pointed that out, Hoseok sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Yeah, every time I start experimenting with scents there’s always one bottle I forget to close at the end… And the fabrics just soak up the scent hanging in the air, every piece of furniture here is a bomb of scents thanks to my stupidity.”

“Oh, I see… Can I see your scents?”

“Sure! Let me just put these in the fridge first.”

After Hoseok had safely stored the small cakes away, he lead his guest to another door. Behind it was a small space, designed minimalistically compared to the living room you could’ve called cluttered. The walls were painted white, matching the white desk standing at one side of the room. The other side was occupied by several racks with small bottles resting on them and a bulletin board with photos hanging from it. The bottles each had their own label and a percentage, written by Hoseok. 

‘cascarilla 20%’

‘mimosa 40%’

‘patchouli 40%’

“It’s not a perfume organ*, but it’s my own little creative space. I like it”, Hoseok said, proudness shining in his eyes.

“It’s wonderful”.

On the white desk, a mixing station was placed, together with an old-style electrical fan. Next to it, several paper blotters in a tin can.

“It looks like a laboratory from a movie.”

“Ahah, that’s what most people say. I don’t do crazy exploding experiments though.”

Changkyun hummed. It was so unbelievably interesting to discover this new craft.

“Wait, this is the piece de resistance”, Hoseok said as he grabbed Kyun’s shoulders, steering him towards the bulletin board. “I’ve been itching to show you this.”

With Hoseok’s hands still resting onto his shoulders, and his own palms getting slightly sweaty, Changkyun looked. And he discovered, in the middle of the bulletin board, himself.

“It’s your picture!”, the elatedness was clear in Hoseok’s voice.

“It is.” 

The picture had turned out lovely. Changkyun knew the shirt he was wearing that day was white, but he could’ve been fooled: it had turned out golden in the photo thanks to the sun shining through it. His head was tilted and even though he didn’t like his side profile, he didn’t hate it either. The corset he was wearing showed off its little details perfectly, and he was happy with how the angle accentuated his laced waist. 

“Isn’t it beautiful.” 

The compliment, even though it was indirect, made Changkyun blush. “It’s because you’re such a good photographer.”

Hoseok’s pearly laughter rang through the apartment. “What? No! I’m awful. If I tell Kihyun about this he’ll pee his pants.”

“Who?”

“Kihyun! He’s my photographer friend and he’s actually good at taking pictures.”

“Oh.” Changkyun leaned closer towards the pictures. “I still really like this one.”

“Thank you.”

The guy from the photograph felt his mischievousness appearing when he turned towards Hoseok, surprising him. “So… Don’t you feel crazy inspired by it? Am I going to be the source of your new best-selling perfume?”

He’d meant it as a joke, but Hoseok’s face was serious. “Yeah, actually.”

“Wait, what?”

“It makes me feel something new. It motivates me.”

“huh.”

“I’m so happy I met you at the Louvre. I’m so thankful for the inspiration you’re giving me.” 

The smile on Hoseok’s face was so open, so friendly, that Changkyun almost had to look away. A sudden heavy air hung in the perfumer’s studio, but it wasn’t because he’d left one of his scent bottles open again. Smoothly, Changkyun’s stomach got rid of the heavy feelings around them by making a loud noise.

“Hungry?”

“Yeah.”

They walked out of the studio together, letting the lingering feelings behind in that small white room. For now.

*The perfume organ, also called an octophone (unrelated to the mandola-related octophone), was an instrument invented by the French chemist Septimus Piesse, in which the keys of a piano activated one of 46 different odors.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter,  
> I really enjoyed writing it :D  
> Something is blossoming between those two fools, can you feel it?  
> Thank you so much for reading! ❤
> 
> Wanna be friends? You can find me @MaddieBumbleBee on the blue bird app xoxo


	6. 6 hundred words I've written about one damn hug

“That was. So crazy delicious.”, Changkyun patted his bloated stomach to emphasize his compliment. It made Hoseok laugh, just what he’d wished for. 

They’d finished the kimchi stew Hoseok had made, and it had been absolutely wonderful. Just spicy enough to make his nose tingle and his stomach warm. With generous pieces of ripe kimchi and the fluffiest white rice, Changkyun had enjoyed his several refills. 

“I don’t think I have any room left for dessert…”, he pondered. 

Hoseok smiled at him as he gathered the dirty dishes. “We’ll just wait a little while, let our dinner settle. Then we’ll have dessert on the couch.” His hands stilled when he got a little insecure: “If you still have time to stay. You don’t have to stay for dessert if you…”

“Hoseok”, Changkyun smiled. “I really wanna stay and leech some more.”

“Great!”, the smile that followed his happy exclamation was so beautiful, even the slight orange gochujang stain on the corner of Hoseok’s mouth was endearing to Changkyun. 

“I missed your smile”, he blurted out.

Hoseok was able to hide his blush by stacking the dishes into the dishwasher. “Really? You suddenly left in high school, I thought you’d grown tired of me.”

“I didn’t leave because of you, goof. I left because my parents were moving to America.”

“Oh. But why didn’t you tell me anything? I just came up to the roof someday and you were gone.”

“I thought... I thought you wouldn’t really care.”

“Hmm. I did.” Hoseok turned around at his guest, smiling sadly. “You were honestly my best friend.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Hoseok walked over to Changkyun, who stood up from the little dining table 

“I’m going to do something I should’ve done years ago, on the rooftop. I hope you don’t mind.”, Hoseok announced nervously. 

He softly took a hold of Changkyun’s shoulders, angling the guy towards him. His palms were sweaty, and from the look of Kyun’s face he could deduce that he was just as nervous. Slowly but surely, he circled his arms around Kyun’s shoulders, placing his hands on top of the guy’s shoulder blades. And finally, he was hugging the guy he’d been longing to hug each day of his high school life. But he didn’t dare to, because he’d been a vulnerable and scared teenager. Scared of rejection. Changkyun’s back was warm, just like his breath that was hitching. Hoseok was able to feel the latter on his skin. And after a few more seconds of focusing on that breath of air against his neck and trying to ignore the embarrassment bubbling up in his stomach, Changkyun reacted.

His arms curled around Hoseok, finding their own place, snugly resting atop Hoseok’s hip bones. He was hugging him back. He was hugging his childhood crush back. The attic was warm, it was summer after all. But at this moment, he didn’t mind the sweat forming on his upper lip. He hugged Hoseok even tighter.

“Sorry for doing this so late. I should’ve done it in high school.” Hoseok sighed, closing his eyes and resting his chin on top of Kyun’s shoulder. “Then you would’ve known how much you mattered to me.”

“It’s okay. Better late than never.”

“I know we just talked on that rooftop, but it meant a lot to me.”

“Hmm. I felt the same way. Feel the same way.”

Hoseok created a bit of distance between them to look into Kyun’s eyes. Those curious, pretty eyes. Those eyes the boy had been hiding behind dark bangs while they were attending high school. “I wanted to say that I’d forgotten how good it felt to be around you… But honestly, I hadn’t forgotten. I’ve never forgotten you in all those years.”

“Oh? But you forgot who I was when we were at the museum.”

“I hadn’t forgotten, I just didn’t recognise you.”, Hoseok let his hand travel to Kyun’s hair, stroking it out of his face. “You’ve changed so much.”

“In a good way or in a bad way?” Changkyun resisted closing his eyes when Hoseok softly caressed his hair, he wanted to keep looking at the guy in front of him, he wanted to see the truth shining in his eyes. 

“In a good way. You’ve become more confident, more expressive. Your demeanor has changed, but you’re still the same Changkyun. You just carry yourself differently.”

“Thank you. I worked hard on that. It took me a while to get out of my emo teenager slump”, he chuckled to hide the heavy meaning behind his words.

“You’re wonderful.”

It was a simple response, but it was the best one for Changkyun at that precise moment. He smiled back at his favourite smile and hugged Hoseok even tighter, trying to convey how much this conversation meant to him. 

One of Hoseok’s hands was still resting on the other guy’s shoulder blade, while his other hand was now resting on top of Kyun’s head. The weight felt nice, comforting. As Hoseok let his fingers flow through Kyun’s soft hair, he reminisced: 

“How long ago was it that we last talked on that rooftop? 5 years? 4? And now we’ve been reunited for a few days and I’m already forcing you to hug, ahah.” 

He felt Changkyun’s arms tightening around him and reassuring him. He continued: “You’ve grown so much since then. I never knew you were so creative, never knew you were an artist.”

“An artist? You’re the artist.”

“What about your fashion? You make such bold, beautiful choices. Your outfit stunned me the first time we met again, and it still does.”

“But that’s just clothes, not art.”

Hoseok hummed, ‘accidentally’ touching the tip of Kyun’s ear with his pinky finger. It reddened under his touch. “Fashion is art, in my opinion. Your body is the canvas, the clothes are the paint.”

“Oh. I never thought of it that way.”

They smiled at each other, and Hoseok stepped away from Changkyun, creating some space between them but still holding onto his shoulders. “Let’s eat dessert?”

“Yes please.”

The cakes were fetched and placed onto little plates Hoseok had painted flowers onto. They nestled themselves into the bouncy couch, a plate huddled to their chest, and enjoyed the sweet treats. Seeing Hoseok savour the little strawberry tartiflette with gusto made Changkyun’s heart bloom, he felt like he already wanted to buy some more desserts for the happy guy in front of him, even though they hadn't finished these ones yet. But suddenly, a sour taste rolled over him, and it wasn’t because of the glazed berries.

“I- uh. I have to go back to Korea in a few weeks.”

Hoseok stilled. “How many weeks?”

“Three.”

They looked at each other a bit gloomily, Changkyun was starting to feel guilty for bringing the mood down. “Just wanted to let you know.”

“Yeah.”, Hoseok placed his unfinished dessert on the coffee table.

“And, if you want to… You can introduce me to Paris these next weeks? I still have a lot of sights to see, lots of cliché places to visit.”

That seemed to cheer the black-haired perfumer up. He blinked away the bit of sadness and smiled brightly. “Yes please! Let’s do that.”

Changkyun chuckled, feeling a bit embarrassed by how happy this all made him. He tugged at the choker he was wearing, fidgeting with the piece of jewelry. Hoseok kept his hands busy by finishing his dessert. They both felt happiness sparking in their fidgety fingertips, and they smiled at each other as they looked forward to the weeks to come.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just love hugs ok ; ^;  
> Also it's getting suuuper warm,   
> Stay safe during the heat! Remember to drink plenty of water!  
> Thank you so much for reading! ❤
> 
> Wanna be friends? You can find me @MaddieBumbleBee on the blue bird app xoxo


	7. 7 colours of the rainbow, and all the hues in between

  
The Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Pont Neuf, Centre Pompidou and so much more. The past week, Hoseok had taken Changkyun everywhere in Paris, showing off the beautiful but crowded tourist favourites but also his own little gems hidden in little streets and around quiet corners. He’d already introduced Changkyun to his favourite restaurant, favourite café, the little antique shop he often visited and the fabric store that was filled to the brim with every colour imaginable. Especially that last place had enchanted Changkyun, he’d ordered a few yards of several fabrics after marvelling at the lovely silks and cottons for quite a while. He planned to make scarves, bags and ribbons out of them. 

Now, they were strolling leisurely in the Jardin des Plantes, Paris’ botanical garden. It was quite close to the Notre Dame which they’d visited this morning. Once again, the pale gravel was scrunching underneath their feet, as they took pictures of the herbs and flowers. 

“This is lovely. Thank you for taking me here”, Kyun beamed.

Hoseok showed him a bright smile in return. “You don’t have to thank me every time we go somewhere, I’m having fun too!”, he plucked a little sprig of lavender and tucked it behind Kyun's ear, before he continued: “You’re looking lovely again.”

Changkyun couldn’t help the grin blooming over his face, blooming more brightly than all of the summer flowers surrounding them. “Thank you.” 

The lavender sitting behind his ear spread its lovely deep fragrance thanks to the heat. This morning he’d texted Hoseok asking what his plan was for today, and after receiving a reply he’d composed his outfit thinking about gardens and victorian ladies strolling through them: he was wearing a simple cotton tee topped with an ivory white lace-up corset, partially hid by his high-waisted blue jeans. The corset was laced up with a lace ribbon, ending in an elegant bow. A sun hat and some espadrilles finished the soft summer look. 

  
  
  


Hoseok thought Kyun looked like an angel sauntering along the golden dahlias. He’d already taken so many pics of that angel today, he was scared his memory card was going to be full before the end of their date. Date?

“Is this… a date?”, he decided to ask before he’d go on deceiving himself.

Changkyun turned towards him, surprise painted onto his pretty face. He was holding his sun hat to protect it from a gust of wind. “Yes? At least, I hope so?”

“I’d like that.”

“Then it’ll be a date”, Changkyun grinned wolfishly, contradicting the sweetness of his outfit.

As sudden as that gust of wind, a group of tourists decided to take the same route as them, crowding the little lane next to the dahlias. Out of reflex, and maybe a little out of his own will, Hoseok grabbed hold of Kyun’s hand. “To make sure we don’t get separated.”

Changkyun hummed at Hoseok’s explanation, grabbing the guy’s hand a little tighter. It felt so nice, this little bit of touch, this little bit of contact. Hoseok’s hand felt warm and sturdy, like an anchor to hold onto when you needed grounding. 

The group of tourists passed after taking plenty of pictures and asking their guide plenty of questions. They were left with nothing around them but the swaying flowers and the humming of the bees. 

“Can we stay like this a little longer?”, Changkyun whispered, looking down at their linked hands. 

“Of course.”

Hoseok squeezed his date’s hand to emphasize his words. They smiled at each other and walked on, discovering every path of flowers and every kind of herb. At the end of the main road, the greenhouse with more exotic plants waited for them. Monsteras, orchids in every colour of the rainbow, huge ferns and a pond with lily pads bigger crêpes. 

Changkyun admired the large wonderful plants and laughed when one of his corset’s ribbon loops got stuck in a protruding twig. Hoseok untied it for him and made sure his ribbons were again sitting neatly on the small of his back. His hands may or may not have lingered a few moments longer than necessary. The warmth of the greenhouse settled in Kyun's cheeks, the healthy blush making him glow. 

“Hoseok?”, a voice rang out, strange to Changkyun but familiar to Hoseok.

At the call of his name, Hoseok let go of Changkyun’s hand, regretting it quickly after. The hurt in Changkyun’s eyes made him promptly offer his hand again. Changkyun stared at the open palm with an eyebrow raised.

“Sorry, just got startled”, Hoseok whispered. 

With a relieved sigh, they laced their fingers together again, tighter than the laces on Kyun’s corset. The guy who’d called Hoseok arrived, jogging at them while swatting a huge monstera leaf out of his face. “Hoseok!”

“Kihyun?”

Said guy smiled fondly at Hoseok and his date, his eyes landing on their intertwined hands. A huge camera was swinging on the strap hanging around his neck. He was dressed comfortably, but the golden earrings he was wearing elevated the outfit from ‘casual home’ to ‘casual chic’. Hoseok recognised the earrings as a gift Kihyun had gotten for his birthday, from a very special someone. 

  
  


“You’re wearing the earrings he got you.”

“Yeah”, Kihyun unconsciously touched the little golden studs. “They’re uh.. Good quality.”

Smiling, Hoseok turned a bit towards his date. “This is Kihyun, the photographer friend I told you about.”

“You told him about me?”, the handsome photographer chuckled. “Nothing but good things, I hope?”

Changkyun smiled and nodded. Hoseok continued introducing them to each other: “This is Changkyun, my…. childhood friend from Korea.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise!” The photographer looked behind him, searching for someone between the greenery. “Hyungwon should be here somewhere….”

“Oh, you took him with you? He doesn’t have work today?”

“Nope… Oh, there he is!”

As if the guy had heard his friends talking about them, Hyungwon appeared from behind a tree trunk. “Oh, Kihyun, that’s where you went! I found that flower you wanted a picture of-...” His eyes widened when he saw Hoseok, and the guy attached to Hoseok’s side like a magnet. Hyungwon was less skilled in being subtle than Kihyun.

“Hoseok, you’re here!! And I can finally meet your childhood sweetheart!!”  
  


Said sweetheart couldn’t help but laugh at Hoseok’s embarrassed coughing. Kihyun slapped his long-limbed friend playfully. “You idiot! You’re embarrassing them! We’re interrupting their date.”

Hyungwon hummed, strolling over and draping an arm over Kihyun’s shoulder. The way his hair was styled, the loose clothing, the light touch of make-up… Everything about this guy screamed ‘model’. But he seemed familiar to Kyun somehow…

“Hey, I know you!”, Hyungwon also got the feeling that they’d met before. “You came to the cafe I work at, I think it was a week ago?”

“Oh!”

He remembered, Hyungwon was the one that took his order for the delicious little cakes and eclairs he brought as a gift to his dinner with Hoseok. Changkyun looked at the happily chatting group around him, Kihyun the photographer, Hyungwon the model from the café and Hoseok the perfumer. They fit so well together, a group of artists, a group of friends. And then there was Changkyun. He felt like the duck in a group of swans, the sudden feeling of homesickness washed over him. He’d never felt like going home when he was out with Hoseok before, but now…

“Kyun?”

“Hm?” 

“You okay? I asked whether you wanted to go to Hyungwon’s café with us? Their iced latté is amazing”, Hoseok smiled at him. 

But the smile wasn’t comforting enough for Changkyun to feel included. He racked his brain to come up with an excuse, to get out of this. Again, he was overcome with feelings of his childhood, but not happy ones this time. When he wasn’t on the roof with Hoseok, he was the loner, the kid that didn’t fit in. The guy who sat alone and didn’t participate. The odd one out. And surrounded by Hoseok and his long-time, successful friends made him feel like that again. 

“I-uh. I gotta go home.”

“Huh, already? But we’d planned to go for dinner after this?”

“I’m not feeling that well…Maybe it’s because of the heat? Maybe I laced my corset too tightly.”

Hoseok frowned, he knew Changkyun just wore the corset for fashion, not for figure-shaping. But he didn’t question it any further, seeing the discomfort in his date’s eyes. “Okay…”, he squeezed the hand he was still holding before letting it go begrudgingly. “Take good care, rest well…”

“I will, thanks. It was nice meeting you all.”

Changkyun turned away and fled the scene, the three men watching him briskly walking, no, _running_ away. Hoseok felt a pang of guilt. What had he done wrongly?

“We must’ve scared him off… Sorry Hoseok”, Kihyun pouted. 

Hyungwon patted the sad guy’s shoulder. “Maybe he wasn’t ready to meet us yet? Sorry we forced it.”

“It’s not your fault”, he sighed. 

Kihyun put his camera away in the little rucksack he brought, not feeling like taking pictures anymore. “Come, I’ll pay for our drinks.”

They walked out of the greenhouse, away from the sweet flowery scents, but carrying the somewhat bitter feelings with them. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a bittersweet chapter ;;;;;  
> I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless :3  
> Thank you so much for reading! ❤
> 
> Wanna be friends? You can find me @MaddieBumbleBee on the blue bird app xoxo


	8. 8 notes in an octave of scents

It started raining on his way home. How befitting... Changkyun huffed at the rain which seemed to sense his cloudy mood. At first, he felt like just enjoying the refreshing drops on his skin, it was a boiling hot summer day after all. But then he realised he was wearing a white outfit and one of his favourite corsets, not the best items to get wet. He urged his feet to go faster even though they felt unusually heavy. Maybe they felt that way because he was running away from Hoseok, after all.  
  


Soon, he was running along the shops and cobblestone streets. People ran along with him to their respective dry shelters. The scent of sun cream melting off people’s skin hung heavy in the air. A group of schoolgirls screamed at the cold drops hitting them, trying to squeeze together underneath a single umbrella. An old lady bravely faced the downpour with a plastic bag covering her fresh perm.   
  


He ran faster, punched in the code for his apartment complex door at lightspeed, and climbed the stairs to his little rental. Not caring one bit about his damp clothes, he fell down onto the sofabed. It creaked dangerously in complaint, but didn’t break. Closing his eyes, he felt the raindrops that had collected on his eyelashes fall down onto his cheeks. It felt like he was crying, even though it was just rain running down his cheeks. Those cheeks, which heated up at the thought of Hoseok and the embarrassing moment they’d just gone through.  
  


When he reminded himself of his cowardly move of running away from Hoseok’s friends, he screamed silently. Changkyun found himself an awful human. He didn’t even know if they were as horrible as Hoseok's former friends from high school. Kihyun and Hyungwon had seemed like decent, nice guys. But he was scared. Scared to be pushed into a corner of the classroom again, scared to be left out. He was enjoying 100% of Hoseok’s attention, and he didn’t want to share it. He rolled over onto his side. Not wanting to share Hoseok…. He decided that that sounded an awful lot like an egoistic child obsessing about candy. Or maybe a jealous lover… 

He shook his head at that thought, trying to wipe out the deceiving thoughts. They had just gone on a few dates. He couldn’t call himself Hoseok’s lover yet. Yet. 

Again, he screamed silently, laughing at himself afterwards. After this huge mistake he’d made, running away from the date, he  _ certainly _ wouldn’t ever get to call himself Hoseok’s lover. He wasn’t even sure Hoseok would ever contact him again. 

_ *Ding!* _

As if on cue, his phone chirped to signal that he got a message. It couldn’t be… He rolled over so quickly that he got a bit dizzy and grabbed his phone from the coffee table where he’d dropped it.

  
  


**Hoseok 16.12**

are you okay?

did you get home safely?

remember to drink enough water...

  
  


Kyun breathed in, and out. It took more effort than usual. He almost slapped himself when he remembered that he’d told Hoseok he wasn’t feeling well, because of the heat.

**Changkyun 16.13**

I’m ok, thanks for checking up

I just got home

What are you doing rn? 

Aren’t you with your friends?

**Hoseok 16.13**

Yeah I am

but I was worried about you so I decided to text you

  
  


**Changkyun 16.15**

:)

you shouldn't be texting

it’s rude to be on your phone with other ppl around

**Hoseok 16.16**

Oh well

they’re too busy talking about some movie anyways

are you really ok?? you seemed a bit sad :’(

**Changkyun 16.17**

Huh

well actually

I wasn’t really sick or anything

I just felt a bit

Wait I’d rather tell you in person it’s something embarrassing

  
  
  


After sending the text, Changkyun frowned at it. He was opening up to Hoseok so easily. Just like how Hoseok used to open up to him on the school roof. They both felt comfortable talking to each other about personal problems or personal dreams. Kyun’s phone buzzed in his hand.

**Hoseok 16.19**

oh?

shall i visit you?

text me the address

**Changkyun 16.21**

nonono

first of all you can’t just ditch your friends for me

secondly i’ll come to your place

this evening? first enjoy your coffee with your friends

i’ll stop bothering you now :)

**Hoseok 16.24**

you’re never bothering me

and ok, sure

I’ll wait for you 

Changkyun smiled at his phone, and at how Hoseok was able to comfort him with just a few texts. He really knew him so well. His phone buzzed yet again.

**Hoseok 16.26**

❤️

\- 

About two hours later, Changkyun was happily snuggled into Hoseok’s lumpy couch. The latter had gone downstairs to get the food they’d ordered. Take-away at Hoseok’s,... just the thought of it made a feeling of domestic warmth roll over Kyun. The little flame he held in his heart for Hoseok sparked up when Hoseok entered the living room again, holding a bag full of food in each hand and smiling that most beautiful smile.

“Hungry?”

“What did you order? A whole feast?”, Changkyun couldn’t contain his laughter at the sight of several boxes almost bursting out of the plastic bags. 

“I just couldn’t help myself…”, Hoseok smiled sheepishly.

The boxes were placed onto the table, and one by one Changkyun opened them. It felt like unwrapping gifts on christmas, each box held a delightful surprise: first two poke bowls -one with salmon and the other with tuna-, two fluffy huge bao buns and some fried veggie gyoza, followed by several boxes filled with the loveliest summer fruits: watermelon, pineapple, and last but not least mango with sticky rice. Changkyun swallowed some saliva, his eyes darting from one box to another. 

“Where do we even start?”

His question was answered by a crispy gyoza appearing in front of his face, Hoseok wanting to feed it to him. A bit too late, the perfumer realised how intimate the gesture was, blushing at his own actions. But Changkyun happily took the little wrapper filled with savoury goodness, and smiled at his host. “Thanks, hyung.”

Hoseok nearly dropped his chopsticks. Changkyun taking his offered bite so elegantly, Changkyun’s dimpled smile and Changkyun’s deep voice calling him ‘hyung’... It caused an overdose of fondness, and an ocean of cherish to wash over Hoseok. He stood there, gawking at himself and at his revelations. Gawking at how much he loved the guy sitting in front of him. 

Said guy noticed Hoseok’s little epiphany. “Are you alright? You gotta eat too or I’ll finish these all by myself, I’m warning you!”

Hoseok grabbed one of the bao buns and took a large bite, the fluffy dough filling his cheeks that were reddening furiously. Then, as he chewed, he remembered what had happened earlier that day. He swallowed his big bite and looked at Changkyun, who was trying to get the perfect scoop of sticky rice. 

“Kyun?”

“Hmm?”, the guy in the corset was carefully balancing a piece of mango on top of the rice.

“What was it that you wanted to tell me?”

“Oh.” 

Changkyun lowered his spoon, carefully weighing out his options. Should he just brush it off? Start talking about something else? Or actually tell the truth…. When he looked up and was greeted by Hoseok’s honest, friendly face, he knew what to do.

“I actually kinda… ran away because I felt a bit left out…”

Hoseok waited patiently, he felt there was more coming.

Taking a deep breath of thyme-scented air, Changkyun continued: “It’s just this thing I do, when I meet with a large group of friends, I start feeling like I’m the odd one out. Like I don’t belong there… Even though they’re my own friends, I just go silent and I feel a bit awkward.”   


He stuck the bite of sticky rice in his mouth, chewing slowly to give himself time to think about what to say next: “I think it’s because of my youth,... I started to dislike big groups. And I’m too goddamn insecure. When you were talking with your friends, I felt like…..I felt like you didn’t like me, or were just pretending to tolerate me.”  
  
  


It hurt. It hurt to say all of those truths out loud and it hurt to hear them. Hoseok felt them weighing on his chest, he wanted to hug the sadness out of Changkyun and make it all better. And that’s just what he did. He walked around the heavy loaded table and settled down into the cushions next to Changkyun, enveloping him in a hug. He put one hand on the small of the guy’s back, the other he used to gently guide Changkyun’s head down until it rested on his shoulder. Not skipping a beat, Changkyun circled his arms around Hoseok as well, letting the whole of his body weight rest onto Hoseok, who reclined against the backrest of the couch.   
  


  
The shuddered breath that left Changkyun felt like it had originated in the deepest bit of his lungs, carrying a load of tension and worries with it, leaving his body at last. He’d told Hoseok his true feelings. He could finally relax. One by one, he felt his muscles do so, and for a minute, he didn’t bother asking himself whether or not he was too heavy for Hoseok to carry completely. He just put his trust in Hoseok’s strong arms and fully leaned into the embrace. “Thank you.”, he mumbled against the back of the other’s neck.

“Thank you, too. For telling me.”, Hoseok’s breath tickled Changkyun’s shoulder as he spoke. 

“I have to tell you something else”, Kyun spoke, encouraged by his earlier confessions. 

Hoseok hummed supportively. He petted the back of Kyun’s head, before letting his fingers rest warmly onto the sensitive skin just above the collar of the other’s white tee. When he felt Hoseok tucking in the label of his shirt, Changkyun smiled. This was Hoseok, caring and wonderful and-

“I’m in love with you.”

It flowed, no _fell_ out of his mouth as if he couldn’t stop the words from escaping anymore, he couldn’t reign them in or hide them in the back of his mind. And it felt oh so good, oh so refreshing to confess his feelings to Hoseok. His heart jumped a little when he realised Hoseok hadn’t replied yet. Was that a good thing or not? The only thing that had changed was that he could now sense a light tremble in the fingers that were still resting on his nape. Was Hoseok nervous? Or scared? Maybe he was trying to come up with an excuse…. All kinds of thoughts flew through Changkyun’s mind, which was racing on the adrenaline of a confession.

“I-”, Hoseok started, but he decided that it would be better to talk to Changkyun face-to-face. Literally. He leaned back, out of the hug, to look into the other's eyes. Those eyes, curious and shining with anticipation. Those eyes which he couldn’t stop looking at. His gaze darted away from them for a minute, looking at the plush lips with corners downturned just a little. A sudden rush, an unbelievably powerful surge of love bursted somewhere in his chest, and nudged or rather _pushed_ him forward. Sweetly, swiftly, he pecked those plump lips that were inviting him in. He leaned back after planting a second kiss onto them, looking at Changkyun’s face. He’d closed his eyes, and he let out a little sigh. A happy sigh.

Giddy with that reaction, Hoseok kissed him again, and again. He softly sucked on the corner of Chankyun’s mouth, revelling in the giggle that he brought forth by doing so. Hoseok almost forgot what his intentions were before he’d been distracted by Kyun’s lips.

“Changkyun-”, he grabbed hold of said guy’s face, cupping his cheeks in his hands. They fit perfectly in his palms. “Changkyun, I love you. I think I fell head over heels for you when I saw you in the museum. And I fell even further when I discovered that you were my Changkyun, from high school.”

“ _ Your _ Changkyun?”, the high school sweetheart laughed. 

“Only if you want to be.”

“I do.”

Hoseok laughed with a full heart, kissing the apples of Changkyun’s cheeks which had turned raspberry red. Apples, raspberries,... Hoseok realised that he had begun thinking organically again. He was thinking about possible scents and fragrances. He felt the tips of his fingers itching to write down compositions of essences, to add drops of raspberry fragrance to a dilution of red apple extract. He finally felt his thoughts flowing freely again, at last he was in the mood to  _ create.  _

“I love you. I love you!”, he kept repeating those words. It made Changkyun laugh. 

They didn’t think about what would happen in a few weeks, they didn’t think about anything, only about not wanting to let go. The food had gone cold but they didn’t mind, in this moment, only  _ they _ mattered. Only those two people that were finally reunited. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A A A A A  
> K I S S ??!!!!  
> It took me soooo long to write that kiss scene idk why ;w;  
> I hope you like this update!  
> Thank you so much for reading! ❤
> 
> Wanna be friends? You can find me @MaddieBumbleBee on the blue bird app xoxo


	9. 9 clouds above Paris

  
The problem with living in an attic: in summer it became a real sauna. All the heat gathered in the highest place, the windows were small... Furthermore there was a lot of wood in Hoseok’s little attic apartment, which held onto the warmth. It made cuddling a bit sweaty and sticky, but that didn’t stop the happy couple from snuggling into the couch and into each other. Sometimes they separated for a bit to take a bite of the cold food, or to stretch, but they always ended up back in each other’s arms. 

Changkyun had discovered that his favourite way to cuddle was him sitting next to Hoseok and leaning into his side, legs swung over his sturdy lap and head resting on his collarbone. Hoseok then curled his arm over Changkyun’s back, around his corseted waist. Changkyun had also discovered that Hoseok liked playing with the little frills on said corset, following the delicate lines of embroidery with his finger.   
  


“I’m so happy.”  
  


Hoseok hummed in agreement, tracing the stitches of an embroidered peony on Changkyun’s hip. “I am too.”  
  


Silence descended upon the two men. In the warmth of the sun and of each other, they were truly happy. But Hoseok realised that, even though this cuddle and their confession had made things better, it hadn’t cured the deep-rooted problems. Those problems couldn’t be cured overnight. Changkyun had told him about his social anxiety, about his fear of meeting new people. And he was determined to figure out a solution, to maybe help Changkyun on his path to getting better. Softly, he nudged a proposition towards the guy cuddled against his side:  
  


“My friends said that they really want to get to know you.”  
  


He felt the legs that were resting over his lap stiffen. Changkyun buried his face further into Hoseok’s collarbone, squishing his nose against the perfumer’s skin. After a while, an answer came: “I want to meet them too, but...”  
  


“I know...-”, Hoseok tightened his arm around Kyun’s waist- “How about we meet just one at a time? And you can choose when and where.”  
  


The legs on his lap relaxed. “That sounds okay.”  
  


In lieu of giving an answer, Hoseok kissed the top of Kyun’s head to show how proud he was of him. It made Changkyun squirm and laugh. Sighing happily, Hoseok’s eyes landed on the leftover food sitting on the table. It was now being hit by the evening sun raking over Paris’ roofs and falling into Hoseok’s window, and he scrunched up his nose at the realisation that he had to get up.   
  


“I have to put the food in the fridge.”  
  


“Nooo-”  
  


They laughed and bickered for a bit, Changkyun sticking to Hoseok’s side like an oversized koala and Hoseok trying to manoeuvre around him. He changed tactics and promptly planted a kiss onto Changkyun's whiny pout, surprising him and successfully slipping out of his embrace. He laughed triumphantly. A set of delicate fingers, some of the nails painted black, tugged at his wrist. Just feeling Changkyun's fingers sliding over his skin made his heart beat faster, and Kyun probably felt it too as his finger pads were resting right on top of Hoseok’s pulse point. 

"Come back soon?", the koala asked prettily. 

"I will." 

He stacked the empty takeout boxes and closed the ones with leftovers in them, before carrying them to the small kitchen. The fridge was almost at its full capacity, filled with side dishes and protein shakes and face masks… But he managed to find a spot for the leftover food. He couldn't resist the urge to check himself out in the reflection of his metal plated fridge, grooming himself and checking whether or not he had something stuck between his teeth. The blush on his cheeks was probably a residue of their short make-out session, and he noticed that his hair was sticking up at the sides, where Changkyun had buried his fingers in it. Chuckling, he smoothed it down, or at least tried to, before going back to the living room for hopefully some more cuddling. 

  
  


-

Two days later, they met up with Kihyun. Changkyun had chosen to meet at the riverbank of the Seine, where many students ate their lunch or enjoyed the sun with their legs dangling down over the edge of the Quais quite dangerously. Because the cobblestone boulevard was right next to the river, it provided the people of Paris with some needed cooling during summertime. He hoped that looking at the swans and the not-so occasional piece of plastic floating by would be able to distract him from panicking. Turns out he didn't need to concentrate on that empty bottle of soda gliding over the murky water, it went much better than he expected. Hoseok walked in the middle, holding onto Changkyun's hand tightly. On the other side of Hoseok, Kihyun politely asked the basic questions (how did you two meet? what did you study after high school? etc.) and told stories about his photography career that Changkyun found really fascinating. Kihyun was polite, friendly, sassy in a funny and endearing way. He even offered Changkyun his sun cream when he noticed a burn starting to redden Kyun's shoulders. 

At the end of the boulevard, the photographer kindly asked if he could take a picture of Changkyun by the water, because he thought the composition of Kyun's outfit and the water with the sun sparkling in it would be lovely. Changkyun consented, but a possessive glare from Hoseok made Kihyun put away his camera with laughter rolling over his red-tinted lips.

"Okay Hoseok, I get it. You're the only one who can take pretty pictures of your handsome muse."

He left with a wave, the couple on the boulevard still blushing at his casual comment. 

"He said I'm handsome", Changkyun wondered. 

Hands slid around his face and turned him towards Hoseok for a kiss with a hint of irritation laced into it. Changkyun laughed:

"What, do you think he's going to steal me away from you?" 

He didn't get an answer, only another kiss that made him breathless. The students around them were starting to giggle, babbling rapidly in French with their friends. 

-

Another few days later, they met up with Hyungwon. It was difficult for him to take time off work during the tourist season, thus they visited him at his workplace. He was just taking the order of an elderly lady, trying to decipher her croaky french with a squint furrowing up his expression, when he spotted the couple entering the cafe. After making the old woman's café au lait and ringing her up, he beckoned Hoseok and Changkyun over to the counter. When he saw both of them staring intensely at the arrangement of tarts and éclairs on said counter he laughed. "The tarte tatin just came out if the oven, want a piece?" 

Changkyun nodded so quickly he thought he might have pulled a muscle in the back of his neck. Hyungwon made them a platter with tarte tatin, a few macarons and their drinks. He didn't have much time to talk with them, only promised to stop by their table when the rush of people craving sweets quieted down a bit. 

Hoseok and Kyun enjoyed their coffee, crunching into the macarons as they watched Hyungwon work. He looked serious as he was working the coffee machine, long hair tied into a bun on top of his head and hands covered in gloves. But when he turned towards the customers, a bright smile erupted onto his model-like face, stunning almost everybody on the receiving end of said smile. His tip jar was already full even though it was just after lunch. 

"He's such a sweet guy."

Hoseok swallowed his gulp of coffee. "Yeah he is! He's one of my oldest friends. He came to Paris with me from Korea. I met Kihyun here." 

It was as if Hyungwon sensed them talking about him, he threw a glance at the couple from behind his counter and gestured at the few customers left. He was trying to say that he'd be right with them.

A few more macarons and an extra order of coffee later, they were finally talking with Hyungwon. Changkyun confessed that he thought Hyungwon looked like a model, which made the long-limbed barista laugh and confess in his turn that he did some modelling jobs on the side. They talked about the usual, about sweets and jobs and relationships. When another string of customers entered the café - it was as if they decided to only enter the café in groups of five at once instead of alone - Hyungwon gave Hoseok a quick hug and patted Changkyun's shoulder a bit awkwardly, but affectionately. 

"Welcome to our group of idiots", he said, “I'm counting on you to bring some brain cells into the gang.”, to which Hoseok chirped out a feigned angry 'Hey! I have brain cells!”

“Yeah sure buddy.”

“At _least_ two.”

Their friendly interactions didn’t make Changkyun squirm anymore now that he knew Hyungwon was a good guy. They cleared out their table and went outside, huddling together under an umbrella to evade one of many summer storms. The rain was just beginning to fall, the skies darkening rapidly. They ran and ran, over cobblestone and sleek concrete and marble stairs and then wooden stairs until they finally fell into Hoseok’s apartment, both out of breath. The bottom of their pants were soaking, as well as one shoulder on each of them. Those wet shoulders were the result of the fold-up umbrella being a little too small for two grown men, definitely including Hoseok’s broad frame. 

Changkyun carefully evaded the carpets on Hoseok’s floor, not wanting to step on them with his soggy shoes. The owner of the little attic quickly discarded his own shoes, went to rummage in a small antique closet and returned happily with two pairs of fluffy flippers.

“Kihyun keeps giving me these for Christmas.”

He handed Changkyun the turquoise ones and slipped on the pink ones himself. His mouth turned into a pout -which Kyun found unbelievably cute- when his eyes fell onto their wet pants. From knee to shoe, they were truly drenched.   
  
  


“I’ll get you some pants as well. Would you like to take a shower first?”

“Uhhm…”

Hoseok looked outside, at the storm raging over Paris. “Maybe I should just get you pajamas already so you can sleep over, I don’t want to send you back home through this storm.”

“Um.”, Changkyun’s mind raced at all these sudden intimacies. Apparently for Hoseok it was easy to be domestic, intimate and warm. For Changkyun it was a little less easy.

Hoseok noticed the doubts written clearly on his face and took hold of Kyun’s hands. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t feel comfortable doing. I just don’t want you to get sick.”

“You’re sweet.”

“O-Oh. Thanks. It’s just a normal thing to do.”, Hoseok wanted to scratch at the back of his neck in embarrassment but remembered just in time that his hands were still linked with Kyun’s.

“I’ll sleep here. I think I might’ve left my window in my rental open anyways so my bed will very probably be soaked…”

“Oh dear.”

“Shower?”

“Yeah, yeah, right through here!”, the intimacy of Hoseok’s actions seemed to have caught up with him, he was suddenly very fidgety and blushing brightly as he led Changkyun to the bathroom. He pointed out where the towels were and told him, a bit stuttery, that he was free to use his shower products. Then he bolted out of the bathroom, hearing Changkyun’s chuckle echo against the tiled walls. 

The clattering sound of the rain pouring down onto the roof above them was relaxing, a bit frightening, but mainly lovely. Hoseok was listening to it as he gathered pillows on the couch for him to sleep on and Changkyun listened to it as he was drying his hair with the soft towel that smelled like Hoseok and orange blossom water. The raindrops on the roof sounded like the hooves of a dozen horses running over cobblestone, or like a waterfall of pearls falling down marble stairs. 

Hoseok whirled around when the door to the bathroom opened, letting out a cloud of steam and a soft, bathed Changkyun wearing _his_ pajamas. He tried to ignore his mind screaming at him about how lovely the guy looked and said that he’d go take a look in the fridge to see what he could whip up for dinner. Some chicken, cabbage and carrot… Rice from that morning. A stir-fry it was. 

When he started chopping up the ingredients, Changkyun shuffled into the kitchen on his fluffy slippers, enveloped the cook in a back hug and asked, chin perched on top of Hoseok’s shoulder, if he could help with anything. His soft voice, the scent of soap... Hoseok wasn’t sure he’d survive this evening.

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *chanting*: SLEEPOVER. SLEEPOVER. S L E E P O V E R.  
> SLEEPOVER!!!!!!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! ❤
> 
> Wanna be friends? You can find me @MaddieBumbleBee on the blue bird app xoxo


	10. 10 kisses counted before falling asleep

  
They prepared dinner together, ate it together, washed the dishes together and had a cup of tea afterwards...together. It felt so foreign, but also oh so familiar, to do those every-day things with someone else by your side. It was something Hoseok felt he could get used to. It was already 10 pm by then, the evening fell over Paris, cloaking the roofs in darkness. In the distance, the Eiffel Tower’s night lights started sparkling. It was still raining, water beating down on the warm pavement. They were both tired. After all, today had been a long day; meeting up with Hyungwon and having to run all the way home through the rain… They agreed to get some rest.

  
  
"Um. What are you doing?”

  
  
“Getting ready to sleep?”, Changkyun furrowed his brows at Hoseok, already half-buried into the blankets on the sofa. 

  
  
“No, you cute idiot. I’ll sleep on the sofa, you can take my bed.”

  
  
Changkyun huffed indignantly. “What? No, I’m imposing on you by staying here, I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

  
  
“But you’re the guest! I’ll sleep on the sofa!”

  
  
For a moment, they stared daggers at each other, with the corners of their mouth still quirked up into a smile. They both knew the other wasn’t going to budge. Changkyun was in a bit of an advantage on the ‘i’ll-sleep-on-the-goddamn-sofa’ argument because he was already lying down on said sofa. Hoseok wondered if he’d have to just scoop Kyun up in his arms and drop him off on his bed. Changkyun followed the perfumer’s train of thoughts:

  
  
“Don’t you dare! I’m sleeping here”, stubbornly, he buried his face into the of thyme smelling sofa.

  
  
“But your back will hurt….”

  
  
“Yours will too if you sleep here.”

  
  
“But... -”, Hoseok nibbled at his lip, trying to come up with a solution- “Rock-paper-scissors?”

  
  
At that, Changkyun lifted his head from the soft fabric, narrowing his eyes at his host. “Fine. Whoever wins can sleep on the sofa., he shook his head at his own words, it sounded so ridiculous, both of them _wanting_ to sleep on the goddamn sofa.

  
  
“One throw, one win. Ready?”

  
  
“Yeah”, Changkyun straightened up and directed his fist at Hoseok. “Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!”

…

  
They both threw scissors.

-

“Do you have enough blankets?”

  
  
“Yes.”

  
  
“Should I open the window?”

  
  
“No, that's alright.”

  
  
“... Do you want an extra pillow?”

  
  
“Hoseok, I’m super comfy, stop worrying!”, Changkyun laughed, rolled over onto his side and started laughing even harder at the image of Hoseok. The guy was lying down in a perfectly straight line, body rigid with nervousness and hands folded together over his chest. His ears, which peaked through his fluffy hair, were tinted ruby-red at the tips. 

  
  
Changkyun’s laughter transitioned into a sigh. “I’m sorry I’m making you so uncomfortable.”

  
  
They were lying side by side in Hoseok’s bed, which Changkyun thought was one of the cosiest beds he’d ever encountered. The ceiling was dangerously low, the bedframe was an old metal construction, with curls and swirls decorating the corners of it. Hoseok had stacked two mattresses on top, together with a heap of earth-tone blankets big enough to challenge the mountain of blankets on the sofa. 

  
  
“You’re not making me uncomfortable”, Hoseok whispered as he turned onto his side as well. Somehow, the darkness surrounding them made his voice turn into a whisper. Now that he’d turned sideways, they were facing each other. “It’s just been a while since I slept next to someone. I’m scared I’ll do something embarrassing.” 

  
  
“Like what? Snore?”, Changkyun chuckled. “Or drool?”

  
  
“Even worse. I used to have this habit of… curling into people while I’m sleeping.”

  
  
“You mean cuddling?”

  
  
Hoseok hummed and shifted, the old bedframe creaking ominously. He was startled as he suddenly saw a hand skimming and patting over the piece of mattress between them, clearly searching for his own hand in the darkness. Helpfully, he lifted his hand from underneath the covers, and Changkyun finally got a hold of it. Long fingers laced through his own.

  
  
“I don’t mind cuddling. We’re… dating after all, right?”

  
  
“Right.”

  
  
The hand started pulling, and Hoseok followed it eagerly, shifting over the mattress until he was pressed up against Changkyun’s side. 

  
  
“You’re so warm”, Changkyun huffed. The breath of air flowed past Hoseok’s collarbone. He pressed a quick peck onto said collarbone before squirming onto his other side, rolling around and pressing his back against Hoseok’s chest. They were still holding hands, Hoseok draped his arm over Kyun’s waist and rested their linked hands onto the guy’s stomach. 

  
  
“There”, he said, happily.

  
  
“All settled in”, Changkyun hummed. Together, they watched the storm raging outside of the bedroom window, Hoseok peeking over Changkyun’s shoulder to gaze at the spectacle of lightning and dark clouds. 

  
  
The breathing of another being, the warmth radiating from them and the occasional tensing of muscles as the other shifted closer, or hugged tighter. It warmed Changkyun’s heart. He started drifting off, feeling his body fall into slumber. Hoseok was pressing soft kisses onto his nape. He was able to count 10 of them, before the drowsiness overtook him, and he slept.

-

In the middle of the night the moon tried to shine brightly onto Paris, but was overpowered by the artificial lights of the city. Hoseok had woken up. He blinked a few times, getting used to the darkness. The clock on the nightstand read 2.40 am. Firstly, he’d noticed that the storm was gone, the last remaining drops of rain were rolling off the roof and dripping down the window slowly. 

  
  
The second thing he noticed was Changkyun, who’d turned around in his sleep and had burrowed himself into Hoseok’s chest. He’d also slipped a hand underneath Hoseok’s pajama shirt, which was now bunched up underneath his chin so Changkyun could lay his face onto Hoseok’s bare skin. Whether the guy had done that on purpose or unconsciously, the perfumer didn’t know. It did feel nice, feeling Kyun’s cheek against his sternum. 

  
  
Slowly, as not to disturb the sleeping beauty, he lifted his hand and carded his fingers through Kyun’s hair. It was still slightly wet from the shower, and it smelled like Hoseok’s favourite shampoo. Carefully, he stroked the hair out of Changkyun’s eyes, revealing fluttering eyelids and a furrowed brow. What was he dreaming about? Something bad? Something nice? Hoseok placed a kiss onto Changkyun’s forehead, right in between the crease of his brow, hoping that would help chase any bad dreams away.

  
  
Then, as he slowly breathed in and out, and gazed at the dark ceiling above him, it suddenly felt like a vision fell upon him. Darkness, stars, rain and fruity shampoo. A warm breath, soft hair and raspberry lips. It all fell upon him. And he had to get it out, the sudden inspiration, the sudden urge to _create_. Almost painfully slow, he lifted Changkyun, up from his chest, and down onto his pillow. He shuffled away from the sleeping figure, admiring sharp edges and soft curves in the almost-darkness for a minute longer until he got out of the bedroom and dashed into his little experiment room.

  
  
After flicking on the light that sat on his white desk, he picked out several small bottles from the perfume rack. His fingers were trembling. The base scent had to be something deep and mysterious, like the vast dark sky above Paris. He picked out pine, cedar and myrrh. Then, the notes. Each perfume could have several notes, scents that were layered upon the base scent. Thinking about stars, raspberries and that golden picture of Changkyun, he picked out the fragrances that corresponded with those memories: mimosa flower, berry essential oil and violet. He took out the little notebook from his desk’s drawer and started jotting down ideas. Now it was only a matter of combining, scrapping, diluting and mixing again. He was on the road to creating a new perfume. 

-

  
He hadn’t even noticed morning had come until the scent of coffee flew through the other scents in the room. He furrowed his brows.

  
  
“Did I get the coffee base scent out?”, he murmured to himself as he checked the labels on the bottles nearest to him.

  
  
“No, you idiot.”

  
  
Hoseok’s gaze shot towards the door, where a soft pajama-clad Changkyun stood, holding two steaming cups of coffee. He set one of them down next to Hoseok.

  
  
“Wait, what time is it?”, Hoseok gaped as he noticed that the sun had risen already.

  
  
“It’s 9 am.”

  
  
“Oh god, I’m so sorry.”

  
  
“Yeah-”, Changkyun feigned sadness as he slurped his coffee, “-I woke up in an empty bed, I thought you’d ran away.”

  
  
“I’m sorry!”, Hoseok pouted as he rapidly closed all of the scent bottles before bolting up and reaching Changkyun in one large step. “I totally lost track of time.”

  
  
“Don’t worry, I was just kidding.”

  
  
“Hmm.”, Hoseok quickly enveloped Changkyun in a hug, just to make sure.

  
  
“I see that you’ve been creating something? Can I uhh.. Smell it?”

  
  
“It’s not done yet, it’ll take a few more tries.”

  
  
“I hope I’m still here when you’re done.”

  
  
The thought of Changkyun leaving when his vacation was over had Hoseok going rigid, tugging him into an even tighter embrace. Kyun laughed.

  
  
“Your arms around me are even tighter than the lacing of my corset.”

  
  
The perfumer hummed and buried his face into Kyun’s wild bed head. To Hoseok, Changkyun almost smelt like nothing at the moment, his nose was numb from all the different scents it had been bombarded with that night. The room was a cloud of fruit and wood and flowers, and Changkyun was a vessel from outside, smelling delightfully much like nothing, neutral. 

  
  
He only turned away from Changkyun’s embrace to pick up his coffee, then wrapped his free arm around the guy’s waist again and steered him to the living room. Time to wake up on the couch with a cup of coffee, and cuddles.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Creativity is flowing ;o;  
> I think we've got 2-3 chapters left 'til the end!  
> Excited? :O
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! ❤
> 
> Wanna be friends? You can find me @MaddieBumbleBee on the blue bird app xoxo


	11. 11-something petals on a sunflower

  
Hook by hook, loop by loop. Changkyun fastened his blue jeans corset around himself. The little hooks and buttons in the front made the process much easier, thank god for modern corsets. He couldn’t imagine how difficult it must’ve been in the old ages; to adjust the lacing in the back every day, strapping yourself in and getting tied up in the long ribbons unless you had a servant to help you… Though he had to admit, the image of Hoseok helping to tie his corset’s laces and pulling at the ribbons was a very lovely image indeed. 

  
The dark blue fabric was soft and sturdy at the same time, hugging his frame like a second skin. After staring at his closet for a few minutes, he paired his white tee and jeans corset with an oversized baby blue shirt he left hanging open and loose around his frame. He was also wearing a faded pair of jeans, that old pair he didn’t have the heart to throw away. The mirror confirmed the success of Changkyun’s combination: jeans on jeans was a trend he’d always loved. The blue ensemble made him smile, the corners of his lips quirked up. He felt energised. Fashion made him feel, made him live. It had the power to change his day or mood completely.

  
He almost danced down the stairs, opened the front door of his apartment complex and was greeted by someone awaiting his arrival with a smile. Hoseok. The perfumer, dressed in black as per usual, handed Changkyun a single, small but pretty sunflower. 

  
“You look wonderful. Like a bright sky.”

  
Changkyun blushed, a tint of red spreading through said bright sky. He accepted the sunflower and tucked it into the pocket of his cotton shirt. It stuck out beautifully, a dash of yellow in the blue outfit. 

  
“Let’s go?”, he asked while grabbing onto Hoseok’s offered hand.

  
Together, they walked towards their destination; the Seine. Hoseok had planned a surprise, but Changkyun could already guess what it was. There was something all couples did in Paris, the Seine being the perfect place for romance. 

  
\- 

  
Walking onto the boat proved difficult, but holding onto each other and the railing, they managed to fall down onto the deck’s chair without hurting themselves or falling into the water. The boat driver nodded at them, speaking in rapid french with Hoseok and then offering them a bottle of champagne with a smile. 

  
“Champagne? At noon?”

  
Hoseok grinned. “We have something to celebrate, after all.”

  
Changkyun raised his eyebrows, and let Hoseok pour him a glass of the sparkly golden liquid.

  
The boat took off before he could ask what the celebratory occasion was, and he was distracted by the scenery flashing by, the spray of Seine water on his right arm and the taste of bubbles on his tongue. It was a sunny day, and he stole Hoseok’s sunglasses with a grin, offering a kiss in return. Children walking on the riverside waved at them, tourists gazed at them in jealousy, other couples in boats passing by lifted their own glasses at them in greeting. 

  
It was too hot for holding hands on the boat, but as replacement Hoseok rested his hand onto Changkyun’s thigh, thumbing the old fabric of his jeans. Changkyun happily sipped champagne and placed feather-light kisses onto Hoseok’s cheek, merry on sunshine and dopamine. 

  
“So -”, Kyun took a bite of the strawberries provided, “-What’s the champagne for?”

  
Hoseok grinned. “It’s done!”

  
“What is?”

  
“My-... _Your_ perfume.”

  
Changkyun gasped. His fingers with black-painted nails gripped the glass a bit tighter. “Really?”

  
“Really. I told you it would take a little while, sorry it took longer.” It was already 4 days after Hoseok had started working on the new scent. Normally it took him way longer to finish it, but a certain someone plaguing his mind had helped the process along. He sighed at the thought of Changkyun leaving in half a week already. He didn’t want to think about it, it hurt. 

  
“Congratulations!”, Changkyun set down his champagne carefully before not-so carefully throwing himself into Hoseok’s arms. The perfumer happily accepted, laughing heartily. He buried his hands in Changkyun’s hair and pressed a deep smooch onto the guy’s lips. Changkyun in return placed his hand onto Hoseok’s jaw, guiding it into a tilt to deepen the kiss. He was already almost fully lost in _HoseokHoseokHoseok_ , suckling on the full lower lip the guy offered him, when he suddenly remembered their location. Reluctantly, he parted from the perfumer. His eyes darted towards the boat driver, but the guy’s eyes were on the road- err... river. He was probably used to couples making out behind him.

  
Changkyun’s gaze shot back to Hoseok when he felt a thumb wiping away some spit from his lip. “Sorry, I kinda drooled on you”, the perfumer whispered sheepishly.

  
“You know I like my kisses that way.”

  
Hoseok hiccuped in surprise and embarrassment, a blush spreading across his happy cheeks. He leaned back into the sofa seat they were sharing. “I’m sending the scent to my factory. I just need a name and bottle design for your perfume.”

  
“It’s not my perfume, you’re the one who developed it!”

  
“But you’re the inspiration. You’re the one it’s based on.”

  
“I-”, it felt so intimate, so special to be someone’s inspiration. To be the origin of a creation, an artwork. It warmed Changkyun, a feeling of tenderness, vast in depth, it was unlike anything he’d felt before. The only way he could convey his gratefulness at the moment was by grabbing Hoseok’s hand and pressing an infinite amount of kisses onto its knuckles. And even that felt like it wasn’t enough. 

  
They cruised over the Seine, the river’s coldness bringing relief from the summer heat. The driver knew exactly which turns to take, how to evade the swans and other boats and how to navigate under the different bridges. Slowly, the bottle of champagne became emptier and the blush on Changkyun’s cheeks rosier. Hoseok decided that he loved that blush, and took several pictures of it. He was sure the pictures would turn out lovely again, and he secretly sent a message to Kihyun asking if he could come develop them tomorrow. Maybe he’d take Changkyun with him?

  
Said fashionable guy was trying to stand up at the moment, legs a bit wobbly thanks to the boat ride and the champagne. Their overpriced 30 minutes on the Seine were over, they thanked the boat driver and got off, laughing and holding on to each other. 

  
It was a lovely summer day in Paris.

  
-

  
That eve, they were walking hand in hand over the Rue de Rivoli, on their way to the restaurant Hoseok had booked for the occasion. They’d stopped by the perfumer’s apartment, where he’d dipped a paper strip into the last version of his new perfume. And now, as they walked, Changkyun held onto said strip with his free hand, waving it around like a wizard holding a wand and spreading the perfume through the air around them. It was an extraordinary scent. He couldn’t get enough of it. It was a golden scent, but not too deep. It was rich, enchanting and tangy at the same time. To Changkyun it was a fragrance he’d happily drown in. 

  
He giggled happily, thinking about how this was _his_ scent. To bystanders he must've looked like a crazy person; laughing and waving a paper strip around, holding hands with someone who was smiling just as brightly. The streetlights shone their yellow glow onto the pair of lovers, the shops and entrances to metro stations contributing with their own fluorescent lighting. It was dark at some corners, bright at others. Paris was like a bark blanket with bits of light scattered atop. It was still toasty outside, the pavement had warmed up all day and was now spreading its heat.  
  


Hoseok let go of Changkyun’s hand and instead looped his fingers through the ribbons on the back of Kyun’s corset. It was his new favourite place to rest his hand. Changkyun leaned onto Hoseok’s shoulder. Linked together like that, they strolled leisurely towards the restaurant, enjoying the shimmering paradise of city lights. 

  
They shared a large dish of carpaccio, rich olive oil drizzled on top and paired with generous pieces of warm Parisian baguette. Afterwards, Changkyun ordered the fish with ratatouille, insisting that eating ratatouille in Paris was a must-do. Hoseok pointed out that the dish was actually from the Province, not from the Nord. He went for the vegetarian pasta dish. They ended the meal with chocolate souffle, the both of them tempted by the dish when they saw it arriving at their neighbours’ table. 

  
As Changkyun swirled the last of his coffee around, his gaze darkened. Hoseok, the lovestruck fool who couldn’t take his eyes of Changkyun, noticed:

  
“Everything alright?”

  
“I’m just...suddenly thinking about Sunday.”

  
It was Tuesday eve, Sunday was when Changkyun’s plane back to Korea would take off.

  
“Don’t-... Don’t think about that.”

  
“But we haven't talked about it yet, have we?”, Changkyun leaned forward, elbows resting on the table.

  
“What do you mean?”

  
“What’s going to happen after I leave? Are we going to maintain a long-distance relationship?”

  
“I-...”

  
“It’s going to be difficult to see each other often, flight tickets are expensive.”

  
“I know-”, Hoseok hurriedly slid his hand over the table to catch Changkyun’s “- But I don’t want to let you go. I want you next to me.”

  
“What are you saying?”

  
“Can’t you stay?”

  
“What?”

  
Changkyun tugged his hand away from Hoseok’s. He looked bewildered. 

  
“Please…stay.”, Hoseok felt his lower lip trembling. He knew things weren’t that easy, he knew life was more intricate than just asking someone to stay and it working out perfectly.

  
“I can’t! I’ve got my job in Korea. My family, my friends.”, Changkyun furrowed his brows. He couldn’t just leave Jooheon, Minhyuk, his parents…. 

  
“I know, I’m sorry. I’m kinda desperate.”, Hoseok tried to lighten the mood with a little chuckle.

  
“I really don’t know how we’re going to do this-”, Kyun gestured between them. “-with a distance of 9000 kilometres between us.”

  
“We’ll make it work. I’ll call you every evening. I’ll bother you with pictures. I’ll skype you wearing only a towel around my waist.”

  
The suggestive dancing of Hoseok’s eyebrows made Changkyun laugh.

  
The urgency of Changkyun’s impending departure made them finish their coffee quickly. They paid and left, in a hurry to get home and spend time together, to savour each other for the last few days, hours, minutes that they had left.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter. was not proofread. because t i r e d :D  
> A A A suddenly Changkyun leaving is so REAL and ALMOST HAPPENING!!  
> I'm totally caught up in my own story azfalkjsd  
> Next chapter I might whip up some s. m u t.  
> This is teen audiences and up, right? ;u;
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! ❤
> 
> Wanna be friends? You can find me @MaddieBumbleBee on the blue bird app xoxo


	12. 12 hours in a night full of touches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi!  
> sorry for the late update!
> 
> smut ahead, the ending is safe for those who don't want to read smut (marked by - ^^ - )

  
Outside of the restaurant, the night led them to Hoseok’s apartment. Along the trip, sneaky glances and touches were exchanged. Fingers skimming along the edge of a t-shirt, knees bumping against each other, Hoseok’s hand resting on Changkyun’s thigh while they were riding the Metro. The latter almost made the perfumer delusional, feeling Changkyun’s muscles clench underneath his touch. His other hand was fidgeting eagerly with the keys to the apartment in his pocket. 

-

After finally arriving at the apartment complex, they tumbled along the marble stairs, stopping every once in a while for needy kisses. They tried to swallow their laughter on the second floor, when Hoseok had hiccuped in surprise when he felt Changkyun’s thumb scratching over his nipple. They tried, but didn’t succeed; Changkyun erupted in giggles that echoed through the staircase. 

  
His shoes squeaked as they hurriedly began climbing the stairs again. The little wooden stairs, a door and a cosy thyme-scented living room,... It all passed by in a flash and it was like they only regained full control over themselves again when they fell onto Hoseok’s bed. 

  
The perfumer hovered over Changkyun, tenderly brushing his hair away from his forehead. “Are you sure?”, he whispered. 

  
The eyebrows raised on the now exposed forehead. “I am. Hyung, look at me.”

  
And he did. He looked. Changkyun grinned invitingly when he felt Hoseok’s eyes raking over his form. Flushed cheeks, heaving chest. Legs that fell open to accommodate Hoseok’s form. He looked… eager. 

  
“I want you”, Changkyun confirmed.

  
At that, Hoseok let a shuddered breath escape his lips. Somewhere below his bedroom window, a man was yelling french profanities at someone, but the noises from outside didn’t reach his ears anymore. He was bewitched, by this soft and pliant Changkyun that was waiting for him to make his first move. And apparently, he was taking too long. 

  
Changkyun slid his hands down his own torso, enjoying how Hoseok’s eyes followed his slow movements. Quite unceremoniously, he undid the clasps at the front of his blue jeans corset, all at once. They opened with a ‘click!’ and the blue reinforced fabric slid away from his waist. Spurred on by Changkyun’s happy sigh, Hoseok finally got out of his stupor and slid his hands over that small waist in front of him. The skin was a bit tender, having been shielded from touch all day by the corset. He dipped his fingers in the slightest hint of abs that appeared when Changkyun held his breath. 

  
“That feels nice…”, Changkyun sighed.

  
He closed his eyes and enjoyed Hoseok’s roaming hands for a moment, then got up a little to slide the corset away from underneath his back. Hoseok took the opportunity to get rid of the other clothing items that were obstructing him from enjoying more of Changkyun’s golden, tanned skin. The blue shirt, the white tee,... His hands hovered over the button of those faded jeans he loved so much. They clung to Changkyun’s form and emphasised his stunning curves and edges, but now Hoseok couldn’t wait to get the damn jeans off. 

  
A dainty pair of hands slithered down to help him, popping open the button and slowly edging the zipper down. Changkyun lifted his hips, and Hoseok hooked his fingers around the jeans, and daringly also around the elastic band hiding underneath it. In one not-so swift motion, he pulled down Changkyun’s jeans and underwear. His mouth watered at the strong v-lines travelling down, bony hips which begged to be gripped tightly, a thin trail of hair starting at Changkyun’s belly button and leading down to… 

  
“You’re so pretty…-”, Hoseok planted a wet smooch next to Changkyun’s belly button. “-gorgeous.”

  
Changkyun writhed under his grip. _His grip?_ Hoseok hadn’t even realised that he’d folded his hands around Kyun’s hips. But it felt like his hands had always belonged there, and he wasn’t willing to let go now that he had a taste of holding Changkyun so tightly. He couldn’t keep his mouth from his skin, licking a fat stripe up the tan stomach that was quivering the slightest bit. Long, strong legs wrapped around his waist and the dainty hands from before took a hold of his earlobes to pull him back up. Changkyun grinned at him when he succeeded in pulling the perfumer up to face-level. 

  
“My lips are feeling lonely.”

  
Hoseok didn’t even have the time to chuckle at Changkyun’s cute wording, his instincts dove in and he covered the pouty mouth in front of him with his own. He swallowed down Kyun’s moans as he discovered every corner of his mouth, tasting chocolate and coffee. Arms wrapped around his back, pushing him down until his naked chest met Changkyun’s. Somewhere in the back of his mind the thought _“when did I take off my shirt?”_ nudged at him, but he couldn’t pay any attention to it when he felt someone grab a handful of his ass. That someone was grinning playfully at him, that someone deserved all of his attention and that someone would _get_ all of his attention. 

  
“Hyung, when are you going to take off your pants? It’s criminal that you’re not fully naked yet. I’m positive that it’s absolutely illegal.”

  
Another playful squeeze to his backside made him almost choke on a gasp. “Changkyun…” 

  
Hurriedly, they got rid of Hoseok’s pants. The feeling of skin against skin, twitching and scorching hot, was like sweet torture. A drop of sweat was collecting in the valley of Changkyun’s collarbone. He was pushing his hips up, grinding his aching cock against Hoseok’s rock-hard stomach. Hoseok happily obliged, providing friction by grinding back down. Changkyun was eager, the perfumer realised. It was as if in this moment, the childhood sweetheart was unleashing all his bottled up desires, opening the cork of the flask of urges and letting them evaporate, like a heavy perfume. Hoseok wondered since when Changkyun had been wanting this, since when he’d been lusting for Hoseok’s touch. His memory provided him with flashes of a teen Changkyun sitting on their high school’s roof, throwing glances at him when he had rolled up the sleeves of his uniform shirt trying to battle the heat. Just the thought of Changkyun wanting him since then made Hoseok’s insides churn happily, a possessive shiver rolling over his spine. 

  
“Hoseok, fucking…. fuck me already.”

  
They laughed at the profanities spilling over Changkyun’s lips so easily. Hoseok gave in, closing his eyes and sighing happily at the wet drag of a cock against his hip. They had all night to ‘fucking fuck already’ and he was planning to fill in every minute before dawn.

  
\- ^^ - 

  
Harsh summer sunlight nudged at Changkyun’s eyelids until he opened them, he immediately shielded his face from the sun after. He was positioned in the perfect spot for the light streaming from the window to hit his face. Behind him, Hoseok snored peacefully, spared from sunlight waking him up thanks to Changkyun being his human sunshade. With the sound of Paris' fat pigeons cooing at the windowsill, he couldn't hold onto that last bit of sleepiness in his mind and he decided to wake up properly. When he stretched his limbs, the person behind him shifted back to accommodate him. 

  
“Stretchy cat”, Hoseok’s voice wasn’t more than a husky whisper.

  
Changkyun could only respond with a long ‘hhngghh’-sound as he felt his joints pop and muscles tense, then relax. A good stretch in the morning always woke him up properly. So did a cup of coffee. Yum.

  
He tried to get up, thinking about Hoseok's expensive ground coffee, but couldn’t yet. Partly because he hadn’t properly stretched his legs yet, partly because the arm around his waist tightened and pulled him back against a warm chest.

  
“Can we cuddle a bit longer?”, Hoseok breathed against Kyun’s shoulder blade.  
  


“Isn’t your arm falling asleep?”, Changkyun was referring to Hoseok’s arm, which he discovered he was lying on. “I’m crushing you, aren’t I?”

  
“You’re not that heavy. Just… stay a little longer?”

  
That made Changkyun smile, he pushed away the thoughts of ‘coffee, stat!’ and snuggled back into Hoseok’s embrace. He’d noticed the double meaning lacing through Hoseok’s plea of ‘stay a little longer’. He knew Hoseok didn’t only mean that they should cuddle a bit more. 

  
“It’s only Wednesday. We’ve got 4 days left. And then-”, he turned around in Hoseok’s embrace to deliver his words more genuinely, “-Then I’ll still stay by your side. I’ll visit as often as I can, and we already promised to call every day.”

  
“I know, I know.”

  
Even though he knew, Hoseok’s heart ached as he looked at the guy in front of him. In just 4 days, he'd have to let Changkyun go. He’d have to say goodbye to tight hugs and secret kisses under the umbrella they shared. He’d have to say goodbye to Changkyun’s scent in his apartment. He closed his eyes harshly, trying to push away that sad reality. And he buried his nose in Changkyun’s hair, relishing in his scent. He smelled like sleep and soap and distinctively of _Im Changkyun._

  
4 days left. And then…. Then… An idea popped up into Hoseok’s sleepy mind. It shone through the fog in his barely-conscious brain like the sun was shining through his window at that moment. “ _If I can’t convince Changkyun to stay…_

_  
...Should I go with him?”_

  
  


-

almost forgot I made a timeline of this fic (up til this chapter)  
for those who were confused about when things are taking place :)

anyone that wants it: [TimeLine - Tightly Laced](https://www.dropbox.com/s/wf529k03ghwhj4f/timeline.png?dl=0)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hewwo!  
> It's been a while since I wrote a steamy scene ;;  
> I hope it wasn't too bad hehe  
> The rating just went up to Mature alsjddh  
> and as always thank you for your sweet comments!!!  
> I truly treasure each and every one of them <3
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! ❤
> 
> Wanna be friends? You can find me @MaddieBumbleBee on the blue bird app xoxo


	13. 13 is printed on the airplane-ticket

  
  
Hours flew by, almost literally. It felt as if every few minutes, reality startled Hoseok by reminding him that time was indeed passing, and that Changkyun’s departure was indeed approaching. Sometimes he forgot though, and his mind relaxed. Those few minutes or hours he forgot that Changkyun was going to leave were blessed, but he was always reminded of the dreaded Sunday in one way or another: the open suitcase on Changkyun’s bed slowly being filled, the snacks he was buying to enjoy during the flight home, or the arrangements Changkyun was making on his phone right now.

“What are you up to?”, Hoseok asked, leaning his head on Kyun’s shoulder while he enveloped the busily texting guy in a back-hug.

“Texting Minhyuk. He says he’ll come pick me up at the airport but he’ll have to convince Jooheon to lend him his car.”

“Why does Jooheon need convincing?”

“Last time Minhyuk borrowed something from Joo it didn’t end well… They held a funeral for the Nintendo Switch in question.”

That made Hoseok chuckle. Hearing Changkyun speak so fondly of his friends back in Seoul. It made him want to meet them. He tightened his grip around his  _ boyfriend  _ (his heart cheered at that word) and planted a kiss underneath the guy’s ear. 

“Did you just press a garlic kiss on me?” -they’d just had lunch: pasta vongole-

“Mmmaybe?”

Hoseok got swatted at playfully, in retaliation for the garlic-scented pecks. He ducked away to dodge the hits, but leaned back in to plant even more kisses onto Changkyun’s skin: in neat rows up and down his neck. Their combined giggles and laughter rang through Changkyun’s rented apartment as they fell onto the creaky single bed together.

-

He hadn’t told Changkyun about his idea of going with him yet. It seemed like a really good idea in his most desperate ‘I’m going to miss him’-moments, those moments where he had to blink rapidly in order to get rid of the moisture collecting in his eyes. If he were to go to Korea as well, he’d fall into a fresh environment which could be beneficial to his perfume-creating, his inspiration could flourish in that new but known country with Changkyun by his side.

On the other hand, he would have to leave his apartment behind, leave Kihyun and Hyungwon behind, leave his Paris behind… Would he have to search for a new place in Korea? Or would he move in with Kyun? Was he moving too quickly? There were so many uncertainties. 

“What’s up with you?”, Kihyun’s clear voice interrupted Hoseok’s swirling thoughts.

The photographer was sitting down next to him and had seen Hoseok slowly sinking down into a spiral of thought and worry. Together with Hyungwon and Changkyun they’d gone out for a breath of fresh air in the Jardins du Luxembourg, one of Paris' biggest parks. Kihyun had stayed with Hoseok guarding their spots at one of the fountains while the other two guys had ventured out to go get some ice cream. 

“Are you okay?”, Kihyun asked again. The concern was clear on his frowning face.

“I am, don’t worry too much”, Hoseok sighed. “I’m just thinking about Changkyun.”

“As you always do.”

The perfumer huffed a short laugh. “Yeah I do. I’m an obsessed weirdo.”

“You’re an artist in love with his muse. “

“The muse that’s going to leave in about 2 days.” -it was already Friday by then-

“It’s going to be hard. But you guys love each other so much, you’ll make long-distance work.”

Kihyun grabbed hold of Hoseok’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. When Hoseok looked up at him, he noticed the tinge of pain in the photographer’s eyes. He was probably thinking about the long-distance relationship he couldn’t make work...

“Thinking about Hyunwoo?”

“A little.”

Hoseok raised an eyebrow.

“A lot.”

They laughed. Two men sitting on a bench in Paris, both infatuated by their love of someone far away. Or _soon_ far away.

“Actually…”, Kihyun began, his lower lip quivering a little. He bit down on it to stop it from moving.

“Yeah?”

“I got an email from Hyunwoo a few days ago.”

“Uh-uh?”

“He said… He said he was coming back to Paris.”

  
  
“What?!”, Hoseok couldn’t help the exclamation of surprise slipping past his lips. Some bystanders looked at him in question. He coughed awkwardly and threw them an apologetic look.

“He wrote about how his swimming internship had ended early, and that he couldn’t wait to come home and that he had to tell me something.”

“Whaaa-?!”, yet again, Hoseok couldn’t contain himself.

“I know, it’s absurd. He’s just coming back so suddenly. I didn’t answer the email yet, I didn’t know how to respond.”

“You’re happy, right?”

“Yes. I’m delighted. But also nervous.”

“It’ll be so much fun to have him back.”

Kihyun nodded, turning towards Hoseok. “I was thinking… When he comes back… Maybe he could stay in your apartment to keep it clean and take care of it while you go to Korea?”

Hoseok had told Kihyun about his idea of joining Changkyun. And suddenly, everything was working out. “That way I won’t have to sell my apartment to some stranger…”, he sighed happily. “But still, right when Hyunwoo is coming back, I’ll have to leave you guys here? I don’t know if I can do that.”

“Just think about it. And know that your apartment will be in good hands. And it’s not like we won’t visit you in Seoul, you dumb-ass”, the photographer rolled his eyes.

From between the trees, they saw two very fashionable people approaching, a lanky guy holding two cones with vibrantly-coloured ice-cream and a smaller guy holding two less crazy flavoured ones. 

“Oh my god. What did you buy?”, Kihyun scrunched up his nose at the ice-cream Hyungwon was handing him.

“Strawberry Marshmallow. You said you didn’t have a preference for any flavour?”

“Yeah, but not this sweet abomination.”

“Any kind of ice cream is a sweet abomination.”

Changkyun laughed at the bickering pair of friends, settling down onto Hoseok’s lap -even though there was plenty of benchspace- and handed him his cone loaded with 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream. “Here you go!”

“Thanks!”

They enjoyed the sweet treat, and afterwards Changkyun said goodbye with a mocha-flavoured kiss. “I have to go pack the rest of my stuff! I’m scared my suitcase won’t close!”, he laughed. 

They waved at him as he walked off. Hyungwon and Kihyun sighed almost in sync as they saw Hoseok deflating right after Changkyun had left. 

-

It was Saturday eve, and he  _ still _ hadn’t told Changkyun about his idea of moving to Korea. With the milky white moonlight illuminating his face, Hoseok sat at his little desk, pressing fingers onto his temples. A pulsing ache had squirmed its way into his head, he’d tried aspirin and fresh air, but the headache wouldn’t leave. It was the kind of headache that only disappeared after making the decision you were worrying about. And he couldn’t, or wouldn’t?   
  
It wasn’t like Hoseok to make rash decisions. His perfumes were well-thought of, detailed pieces of work. He liked spending time on things, he liked seeing them slowly turn into a perfect bundle of scents. And he felt the same way about making choices. But Changkyun…. Ever since Changkyun, he’d started making more impulsive, or rather intuitive decisions. He leapt rather than built a bridge. But was that a bad thing? Hoseok breathed out slowly through his nose, trying to calm his pounding head. Moving countries for a lover was certainly a daring leap. But it was  _ Changkyun _ …

“Hoseok?”, a whisper fell through the darkness. “Why are you up? Are you alright?”

The sleepy sweetheart who’d woken up to get a glass of water and had discovered Hoseok pondering at his desk, took a few steps closer to the perfumer. A snow-cold hand descended upon Hoseok’s feverish forehead, soothing the pain. “Are you sick? You feel really hot.”

“Don’t worry-”, Hoseok took the hand away from his forehead, to press a kiss onto its palm. “-it’s just a headache.”

“Can I get you anything?”

“Just… Can we just hug for a moment?”

“Of course.”

Before Hoseok could stand up, Changkyun already lowered himself onto his lap, enveloping him in warmth and the new scent Hoseok had created for him. Ever since Hoseok had created the first bottle, he hadn’t stopped wearing it. The scent wasn’t even out for the public yet, didn’t even have a name still. But Changkyun dipped his pinky-finger in the sample bottle every morning and pressed a few drops of it behind his ears. 

Hoseok sighed, his breath shuddering along Kyun’s neck. Holding him felt so safe, so real. It was lovely to keep him close. The waist that was free of a corset this eve, just clothed by a soft pajama shirt. The sturdy thighs that squeezed tightly around him in their most intimate moments. 

“What keeps you up at night?”, Changkyun’s soft, deep voice rang.

“The fact that my lover is leaving tomorrow. But that shouldn’t keep you up, you have a flight to catch at 9 am. You need to get some sleep.”

The guy in Hoseok’s arms harrumphed. “As if I’m going to sleep for the last time here without you by my side.”

“I’ll come.”

“Good. Carry me.”

“Bossy!”, Hoseok couldn’t hide his grin. He hooked his hands underneath Changkyun’s thighs and  lifted him up, dramatically pretending that he was heavy, while the weights he lifted in the gym put more strain on his biceps than Changkyun did. 

“Let’s go to bed.”

-

A metro ride, a train ride, a long walk along the airport halls to find the right gate… It all felt so surreal, so cartoonish. That Sunday morning felt like it didn’t belong in Hoseok’s life. It felt odd, just like how Changkyun had felt to him when he’d just met the guy again in the Louvre. Out of place, alien to his world. And now, Changkyun was holding onto his hand tightly as they walked towards his gate, number 13.

“An unlucky number….”, Hoseok mumbled sadly.

Changkyun rolled his eyes. “It’s just a gate number, hyung. It's right here on my ticket.”

The airport smelled of stale croissants and sweaty tourists. Everything was gray: walls and floors and furniture... Except for the summery clothes of the passengers. On those fabrics, flowers and birds danced in bright colours. 

The perfumer handed Changkyun his hand luggage, a small backpack filled with a few snacks, a book, a phone-charger and….

“Take a look in your bag?”, he zipped it open for Changkyun to see.

“Huh? Did I forget to pack anything? My passport is right here-”, Changkyun’s breath got caught in his throat when he saw a little white box sitting snugly next to a bag of potato chips. “Is this?”

“Yes.”

Changkyun lifted the little box out of his backpack, reading the name printed on it: 

“Horizon?”

“I finally picked a name”, Hoseok smiled.

Slim fingers picked at the sticker that sealed the box, before Changkyun finally lifted up the finished perfume to look at it in the light. A simple golden bottle, with a baby blue crystal cap to keep it closed. “ _ Horizon _ ”, in thin italics, with underneath it “ _ For Im Changkyun” _ . 

“It’s so pretty. Oh, hyung.”

He threw his hands around the perfumer standing in front of him, careful not to drop the bottle. “Congratulations!”, the happy words leaving Changkyun’s mouth were tinged with sadness. And Hoseok was quite sure that the airport’s roof didn’t have any holes in it, so why did he feel raindrops on his shoulder?

“Are you crying?”

“I’m not ready to say goodbye.”

In less than a second, Hoseok wrapped his arms around the other’s waist, lifting one hand to pet Changkyun’s back. Soft sniffles and sobs were muffled by Hoseok’s shirt but still reached his ears. “Pup, you’re breaking my heart.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t say that. It’s just the situation we’re in that’s breaking my heart.”

Changkyun sniffled, hoping he wasn’t leaving a snot stain on Hoseok’s t-shirt. “I don’t want to go.”

“You have to. They’re waiting for you. And-”

“And?”

“And…-”, Hoseok softly took hold of Changkyun’s head and lifted it from his shoulder, cupping his hands around those cheeks wetted by tears. Seeing him cry urged him to make a decision. Take the leap. “And maybe in a few weeks, I’ll be joining you.”

Changkyun couldn't react, genuine surprise painted on his face.

“I’m thinking of moving to Korea. I’ll chase after you”, Hoseok tried to smile, kissing away the tears still rolling down Changkyun’s face.

“Wait-What?!”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoOooOOoo boi !  
> WHat. a wild ride.   
> Just one more chapter left??? I think??  
> A AAA.   
> I'm so glad you all took this journey with me,  
> I had a lot of fun!!  
> -but this is not the end yet lol-
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! ❤
> 
> Wanna be friends? You can find me @MaddieBumbleBee on the blue bird app xoxo


	14. 14 uhh... 1407? 1405? What was the code again?

**  
  
  
* ONE MONTH LATER ***

Weeks had passed, Summer had left. The trees in Seoul were already starting to drop their leaves. He brushed a yellow-brown one off his shoulder before entering the apartment complex. Steps echoed through the empty hallway as he stumbled through it. It took him a few tries to get the code for the door right, the keypad angrily beeping at him every time he pushed his old code in again. The old code, for his old apartment. This was the new one. 

“Oh”, Changkyun sighed and finally remembered the right code. 1405. The door beeped affirmatively.  
  
  
He tried to toe off his shoes at the entrance, which proved difficult to do when wearing black platform boots. Grunting at his shoes after he finally managed to pry them off, he padded towards the living room and almost fell down onto the sofa. He was _oh so_ exhausted. He threw his tote bag with the University's logo on it onto the coffee table. That damn University was the reason for his exhaustion. He eyed the bag angrily, but also happily. Those two emotions merged on his face into a giddy-looking frown. He wiggled his sweaty sock-clad toes. Three weeks ago, he’d decided to apply to a fashion course at the University. Changkyun’s enrolment was very last-minute, but he was accepted and had already followed a week and a half of classes and lectures. He was exhausted, but happy.

As he checked his phone for messages and tried to take off his socks at the same time, he almost rolled off the sofa. A groan left his lips at the thought of getting up and making dinner. He was absolutely sure every muscle in his body would protest if he’d have to walk another meter. But then he remembered: it was Friday eve and that meant Minhyuk and Jooheon were coming over with take-out. No cooking, just relaxed eating and watching a movie. Possibly falling asleep in the middle of it and getting smileys drawn onto his face in lipstick. Lovely. 

The door keypad was beeping again, but whoever was trying to get in got the code right on their first try. Changkyun heard someone walking over and setting down several bags onto the coffee table. Only then he realised he’d closed his tired eyes, and he would have to open them to see who it was. Jooheon with the tteokbokki? Minhyuk with the beer and pizza? He pried open one of his sticky eyelids.

“Oh!”

“Why do you sound so surprised to see me?”

Leaning over Changkyun, black curls spilling over his face, clad in a white tee and jeans combo... With a grin tugging at the perky corners of his mouth, dimples finding home on both his cheeks: Hoseok. 

“I’m not surprised, just very happy to see you”, Changkyun grinned and stuck out his arms, grabbing at the perfumer to coax him into a hug. It worked.

“Hmm, I’m happy to see you too. Even though I saw you this morning. And yesterday. And the day before, and…”

Changkyun laughed and squeezed Hoseok tighter. ‘You're right.”

Two weeks after Changkyun had returned to Korea, Hoseok had made the trip as well. It had been hectic, a bit sloppily-planned and rushed, but it was all worth it when Hoseok had arrived at Incheon airport to see Changkyun running at him at full speed. The apartment in Paris was inhabited by Hyunwoo now, who’d returned from Australia with a lot of funny stories and handfuls of random gifts - vegemite which was wasting away in the kitchen cupboard and a stuffed kangaroo which was sitting on the sofa next to Changkyun.  
  
  
After moving to Seoul, Hoseok had found a place to stay in the same apartment complex as Changkyun, the both of them not feeling ready yet for moving in together. But that turned out to be a lie, because they stayed over at each other’s place so often that it was almost like they _were_ already living together. So, just a week later, they’d already cancelled the contract on both of their apartments -the landlord was getting quite annoyed- and they officially moved in together in a larger space.   
  
  
Their new place became a mishmash of their different styles; dark sofas with soft blankets thrown over them, Kyun’s accessories and ribbons strewn across random places, Hoseok’s perfume lab taking over half of Changkyun’s workroom, a kangaroo plushie from Hyunwoo, picture frames on every wall with photos of the couple in Paris Kihyun had sent them,... It was a wonderful home. It was wonderful to live together. 

“What’s that?”, Changkyun let go of Hoseok to look at the bags his boyfriend had set down on the coffee table. They were all fancy shopping bags you got at expensive stores. 

“I forgot my tote bag…So they had to bag everything for me”, Hoseok pouted. 

Changkyun raised an eyebrow and pushed his University carrier aside to make room for whichever items were going to emerge from those mysterious bags. One by one, he unloaded them, while Hoseok watched in glee. Scented candles from Soohyang, matching pairs of mittens from Burberry, an impressive amount of fabric samples from Changkyun’s favourite store, and a cake that looked fancy enough for a banquet with the Queen.

“What’s all this for?!”, Changkyun was delighted, but also worried. Since when was Hoseok such a spender? He was usually the more frugal one…

“Gifts for us, for our apartment! I just got back the sale numbers for Horizon.”, Hoseok happily sat down next to Changkyun, fishing the mittens out of the pile of gifts to see if they fitted Kyun’s hands. “It’s selling like hotcakes. It's my most successful perfume so far.” 

The mittens were the perfect size. “Wait, look”, Hoseok continued. He dug out his phone and showed Changkyun the email he’d received from the factory that made and distributed his perfumes. Just before he’d left for Korea, they’d started the distribution of ‘Horizon’.

“Mr. Shin, our company is as always pleased to work together-….”, Changkyun’s eyes skipped the pieces of text quickly, “-blah blah business blah, we’re happy to announce that the sales of Horizon have now reached a total amount of-”

His eyes got comically large, and he had to re-read the amount of zeros in that sum several times before his brain comprehended how much it was. “Is this?! Is this a typo?”  
  
  
  
Hoseok laughed, not able to resist placing a kiss onto Changkyun’s cheek. “It’s not. It’s proof of how unbelievably well Horizon is selling, in a number. And it’s all thanks to you.”

Changkyun placed Hoseok’s phone on the coffee table. “Thanks to me? You’re the one who made that perfume, idiot.”

  
  
Hoseok turned fully towards Changkyun, folding his legs underneath him on the sofa and taking both of Kyun’s hands in his. He revelled in the fashion student’s reaction when he placed a kiss on both of his palms. Changkyun’s hands nowadays were scarred with needle pricks, tinted with fabric dye and a bump was forming on his left ring finger where his pen rested. He took all of his notes by hand during the lectures. Hoseok definitely felt like those hands deserved some rest and love, hence the kisses.  
  
  
“I made the perfume...But you’re my muse, love.”  
  
  
Changkyun could only blush and smile, the softest smile.  
  
  
“It’s thanks to you that I found my spark again, I’m so thankful for that”, Hoseok continued, pressing his cheek against the palm of Changkyun’s hand.  
  
  
Soon, Changkyun was sliding his hands over Hoseok’s shoulders, letting them slip into the back of his shirt to steal some warmth. They huddled close on the sofa, holding on to each other and maybe, just maybe, Changkyun fell asleep for just a minute. And Hoseok let him sleep, petting his hair and shushing Minhyuk and Jooheon when they arrived with the food.  
  
  
Just when they’d unpacked all of the take-out, Changkyun woke up to the smell of teokkbokki (the box of which Joo was holding underneath his nose). His little family in their apartment, sharing spicy food and banter. How lovely. And when he wanted to take a bite, he noticed his hand was still stuck in Hoseok’s, fingers intertwined as they often did. Feeling that familiar hand in his, thumb rubbing circles into his skin… It made him look up at the perfumer whose lips were stained with red sauce. He was smiling at his friends. The man who’d picked him out of an art gallery in Paris, the man who’d shared his childhood secrets with him, the man who’d moved to Korea to be with him. It felt right, it felt like love. And Changkyun didn’t mind eating clumsily with his non-dominant hand if that meant that he could keep holding on to Hoseok, holding on to his hand. 

_\- hands Tightly Laced together -_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /The End/
> 
> Thank you all so very much,  
> for your support, love and patience. 
> 
> I truly appreciate it. A lot.  
> Thank you for reading. ❤
> 
> Wanna be friends? You can find me @MaddieBumbleBee on the blue bird app xoxo
> 
> |ω・）< psst!  
> |ω･)و ̑̑ < there's an an epilogue chapter coming up!  
> ( bcs we all deserve some corset-themed sexci time ;;;; )


	15. E P I L O G U E

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you KNOW i love my time skips!!!!!  
> this takes place errr quite a few months after the last chapter!  
> enjoy my dears ;w;  
> it's all filth btw so....  
> bEwArE!

He was drowning in fabric. Literally. When Changkyun had tried to pull a roll of velvet off the large stack of fabric rolls in his workroom, it had slid down the mountain together with some other ones, resulting in him being almost buried in cobalt blue velvet, yellow embroidered tulle and a particularly heavy roll of black cotton. The surprised yelp he let out alarmed Hoseok, who was busy in the living room, assembling the IKEA shelf Changkyun was going to arrange his fabrics on. The irony. 

“Changkyun? What happe-!”, Hoseok interrupted himself with a shriek of surprise when he discovered the fashion student on the ground, weighed down by the fallen fabrics. “Oh my god.”  
  
  
“Don’t worry!”, Changkyun lifted the blue velvet off his stomach. “Our mat broke my fall.”

Hoseok helped him pick up the textiles, worriedly checking Changkyun over after he’d helped him up. “Are you sure you’re not hurt anywhere?”  
  
  
  
“I’m sure.”  
  
  
  
“Tssk.”, Hoseok tutted and made his boyfriend show him his arms, looking for scratches or the beginnings of bruises. “Couldn’t you have waited with that for just a few more minutes? I was almost done assembling the ‘Hejne’.”  
  
  
  
“I’m sorry…I just wanted to work on my project”, he gestured at the mannequin in the corner who was wearing an incomplete version of Changkyun’s graduation project.  
  
  
  
“Don’t apologize, I’m just worried. What if one of those had fallen on your chest? It could’ve resulted in a broken rib!”  
  
  
  
“Nah, my corset would’ve protected me.”  
  
  
  
“I don’t think it would’ve helped much…”, Hoseok narrowed his eyes at the black piece of clothing in question.  
  
  
  
“It’s quite sturdy!”, Changkyun happily chirped in response. “Come, feel it!”  
  
  
  
Before he could protest, Changkyun had grabbed Hoseok’s hand to stuff it into the front of his corset, trying to make him feel the lightweight steel bones. Hoseok wiggled his fingers that were now stuck between Changkyun’s t-shirt and the corset he was wearing over it.   
  
  


“Oh, you’re wearing it quite loosely.”  
  


  
“Yes, it’s just for fashion. It’s nice to lace it tightly but if I’m going to wear it all day I just leave it loose a little.”  
  
  
  
“It feels sturdy, you’re right... Wait-... It feels nice to lace it tightly?”, Hoseok frowned.  
  
  
  
“It’s like… a tight hug? It feels like you’re safe and compact.”  
  
  
  
“Oh…”

  
  
Hoseok’s fingers started wandering, his other hand sliding over Changkyun’s waist.  
  
  
  
“Wait… What are you doing?”, Changkyun laughed. “I have to work on my project! And you have to assemble the ‘Hejne’-shelf!”  
  
  
  
“I’m not doing anything!”, Hoseok feigned innocence by blinking naively at his boyfriend. “I’m just feeling how skinny you are, I should feed you more.”  
  
  
  
“Hyung…”, the fashion student rolled his eyes dramatically, a feature Hoseok loved. It made him look so cheeky, rolling those pretty brown eyes.  
  
  
  
“Let’s just take a little break? Daniella can wait.” -that’s what they’d named the mannequin-  
  
  
  
“A little one?”  
  
  
  
“I just want to try something, if that’s alright with you?”  
  
  
  
“Tell me more?”, Changkyun ripped his eyes away from his art project, settling his full attention upon Hoseok.  
  
  
  
“I don’t know if it’s a good idea… Because your corset isn’t really made for that purpose, but…”, the blush on Hoseok’s cheeks was telling.  
  
  
  
“You want to… fuck me while I’m wearing the corset?”  
  
  
  
Hoseok spluttered at Kyun’s brazen words. “I want to _make love_ to you while you’re wearing the corset.”  
  
  
  
“Ever the romantic”, the fashion student grinned.  
  
  
  
“You just said it makes you feel good. Safe. Besides that, it’s... “

  
  
“Sexy? Sensual? Racy?”, he pushed himself closer to Hoseok with every word, biting down onto his lower lip, awaiting his boyfriend’s reaction.  
  
  
  
Hoseok was 99% sure Changkyun’s daredevil-antics were going to kill him someday. In a good way. His breath left his lips in shuddered bits as he now placed both of his hands on the thinnest part of Changkyun’s waist. Underneath his palms, he could feel the corset’s embroidery, the fabric moving a little every time Changkyun took a breath, or released one. They’d been busy the past week, not much time left for kisses or cuddles, or more. Hoseok was preparing for the release of a new perfume, Changkyun was working on a big task for University. The perfumer’s heart felt like it would jump out of his chest in anticipation of Changkyun’s next move. And the guy in front of him didn’t disappoint.  
  
  
Changkyun pulled his tee from underneath the corset, throwing it into a corner of the room. His pants followed, together with the pair of black boxers underneath. As if nothing was wrong, as if he wasn’t completely naked aside from a black corset and a pair of fluffy grey slippers, Changkyun trudged over to his working bench, pushing aside sketches and thread and fabric scraps. Then, he planted his bare ass onto the wood, sitting atop the desk and opening his arms invitingly towards Hoseok. “C’mere!”, he curled one of his long fingers in a beckoning movement. The smirk on his face was the perfect accessory for this devilish beauty that Hoseok was enraptured by.  
  
  
Hoseok couldn’t help but come closer and slide his hands over warm thighs and behind somewhat bony knees, to help Changkyun wrap his legs around the perfumer’s waist. A groan followed by a string of curses left him when he felt a pair of lips descend onto his neck. “ _Holy fuuuck._ ”  
  
  
  
“That’s the goal.”

  
  
Hoseok laughed at that, burying his nose in Changkyun’s hair. As always, he smelled like _Horizon_. It made the perfumer smile. Slowly, Changkyun sucked purplish pink spots into Hoseok’s skin, blowing onto the fresh hickeys afterwards. That feeling of cold air onto tender, wet skin made Hoseok shudder. Changkyun took joy in it, feeling Hoseok turn obedient and soft underneath him, all shudders, twitches and breathy sighs. 

When the fashion student deemed Hoseok worked-up enough, he nudged the guy to make space for himself, hopping off the desk to turn around and offer his backside to Hoseok. He was glad to show off his broad tan shoulder-blades, lean back, and the soft curve of his ass with the ribbons of his corset falling over it. He looked over his shoulder at Hoseok, just in time to see his boyfriend rolling up his sleeves.   
  
  


“Getting ready to work?”, Changkyun laughed, trapping his lower lip between his teeth since he knew that riled Hoseok up.  
  
  
  
The perfumer didn’t answer, studying the sight in front of him with a steady gaze. A steady gaze which contrasted heavily with his dilated pupils, lovemark-littered neck and ragged breath. His fingers traveled down, playing with the silk black ribbons draped over Changkyun’s backside. They slid through his hands, soft and sleek. Carefully, he untied the knot of the ribbons sitting at the middle of the corset, Changkyun still watching him carefully from over his shoulder. With the laces untied, he grabbed one of them in each hand, pulling experimentally. The corset tightened a bit, fabric inching closer, ribbons pulling the metal loops together. Changkyun arched his back, groaning.  
  
  
  
“Is that too tight?”, immediately Hoseok let go of the ribbons.  
  
  
  
“No, that was nice.”

Changkyun twisted his back to pull the perfumer in for a kiss, before settling back down with his elbows planted firmly onto the desk and his ass planted equally as firm against Hoseok’s crotch. “Go ahead. You can take the reins. Literally.”

Once again, he looked over his shoulder just in time to see Hoseok taking off his belt, letting the leather slip out of the loops on his jeans. Changkyun turned back to look at the wall filled with sketches of clothing in front of him. He closed his eyes, focusing on the sound of a zipper being lowered, the sound of a soft gasp leaving Hoseok’s lips as he freed his cock.... Then, there was the feeling of fingertips stroking along his inner thighs, and then…. a pause.

“Wait, I gotta go get stuff.”

The apologetic, sheepish tone of Hoseok’s words made Kyun laugh. “Go ahead, I’ll wait.”

For what seemed like an eternity, Changkyun waited, leaning on the table and feeling goosebumps appear over his body, almost fully exposed to the cold air. At last, Hoseok returned with a condom and lube. Courteously, he warmed up the latter between his fingers before he started spreading it between Changkyun’s thighs. Whether Hoseok was going to fuck his thighs because he knew Changkyun was a bit tired, or because he couldn’t gather the patience to prepare his boyfriend for penetration, didn’t matter. Changkyun _loved_ it when Hoseok fucked his thighs. Adored it. His mind itched at the thought of it, warmth pooling and swirling in his stomach at the same time. 

After wiping his glossy fingers on his pants, Hoseok grabbed the ribbons anew. His fists tightened around the silky fabric when he slid into position, feeling the wet warmth of Changkyun’s thighs welcoming him. The guy below him squirmed and tried to simultaneously get closer and further away. But Hoseok held the reins, literally. He pulled softly at the ribbons, delighting in the whine that elicited from Changkyun. 

“I’m going to move now...”, his voice felt so strained, it was even tighter than the corset right now. 

He pushed forward, using the laces to pull Changkyun backward at the same time. And again. Hoseok was careful not to pull too hard, examining Changkyun’s breathing and reactions attentively. “Good?”

“ _Good_ …”, it was a long groan he got in response. It was enough of a stimulus to make Hoseok throw his head back and go on, finding a steady rhythm of push-and-pull. It was hot, no, _scorching_. It felt so intimate, a token of trust and love. Changkyun relished in the feeling of Hoseok’s cock brushing past the base of his own. The perfumer, eager as always to show his love, peppered soft kisses along Changkyun’s back. The gentle kisses contrasted beautifully with the harsh thrusts. 

It didn’t take long before they both reached their peak, white fire spreading through their limbs. Changkyun collapsed onto the desk, panting heavily. With trembling hands, Hoseok undid the corset for him before lifting him up. 

“I’m going to fall asleep.”, Changkyun warned, snuggling into Hoseok’s arms.

Hoseok in return smiled at Kyun’s cute habit of falling asleep after sex. “I’ll take care of you.”

He carried his tired lover out of the workroom, past the unfinished ‘Hejne’ and into the bedroom they had decorated together along the past months. Soft pillows and soft blankets, a wooden closet almost bursting with clothes. The walls were covered with frames filled with articles praising _Horizon_ ’s success that Changkyun had cut out of magazines. In return, Hoseok had hung up every good mark Changkyun got on his university projects on the fridge with magnets. The bedroom floor was a minefield of dirty socks, courtesy of Changkyun, and Hoseok carefully evaded them on his way to the bed. He was ready for a good nap, the kind of nap that casually turns into real sleep as the hours fly by. And together with Changkyun, in their room decorated with proofs of success and love, he was sure he’d soon fall into the depths of such a nap. 

“Good night.”, Changkyun managed to mumble before he too was tumbling into slumber.  
  
  
  
“Good night, love.”

  
  
  


  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LMAO that little break turned into a full-on big break + nap ;;  
> ahah well. I hope you enjoyed that ;;;  
> It was difficult to write for me, smut and all that.  
> and even more difficult to proofread, the cringe almost ended me.  
> ALSO: DO NOT USE CORSETS FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE THAN WHAT THEY'RE MADE FOR.  
> this is fiction ok, practise safe sex pls <3 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this little epilogue!!  
> Thank you so much for reading Tightly Laced,
> 
> xoxo  
> Maddie


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